BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

You are West, declarer in 3NT, with no opposition bidding. North leads the ♥5 and South puts up the ♥Q. How would you play?

You will find that there are several occasions on which you can’t use the Rule of Seven, and here is one of them.

The Rule tells you to hold up twice (3+2=5, 7-5=2).

The ♥Q from South could be ducked, but it doesn’t take much thought to see that this could be fatal. A heart back through your remaining ♥K8 could well cost you the next four tricks.

So go up with your ♥K at Trick one — it’s really a case of now or never — and cash your winners. You have two spades, the ♥K, four diamonds, and either three or four clubs, according to how they break.

The ♥K wasn’t a sure stopper anyway, and common sense tells you to win with it. Exchange it for the ♥A and you have your contract safe whether you duck or not.

So remember — the Rule of Seven is a very useful gadget, but one to be used sensibly.