BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

YOU are West, playing in 3NT, after South had opened a vulnerable 1♠, and North leads ♦3 to his partner’s king. How do you play?

All but the very best declarers will fail on this one, even though it’s fairly simple; if you follow my basic principles for playing as declarer — consider the bidding, understand the lead, count your winners and losers, make your plan before playing to the first trick.

North hasn’t lead his partner’s bid suit, which means either he is void, or he believes that leading his suit will give his side a better chance of defeating your contract. The lead appears to be from a fivecard suit headed by the queen, and therefore South started with Kxx.

South’s opening bid marks him with all the outstanding honour points, and you can plan the play on a virtual double-dummy basis. You only have three top tricks, and South must gain the lead twice before you can set up the nine tricks for your contract. Many declarers will spot that the lead has given them a second guard in the suit and will win ♦A straight away ‘to get on with the business’. But dummy’s ♦10 is a ‘Greek gift’ for declarer, and will lead to his downfall. When South gains the lead with his first ace, he’ll play back a diamond, which North will duck, allowing dummy to win! As soon as he wins with his second ace, he’ll play his last diamond and North will take three more winners to defeat an unbeatable contract.

Once you have resisted taking your ♦A until the third round, you will be home and dry — but what a temptation to resist!