BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

YOU are South playing in 3♦ after West had made a jump overcall in hearts. How do you play after West leads ♥7?

YOU have five apparent losers, although one of these can be removed, either with a successful club finesse, or by discarding a spade loser from dummy on a master club. Clearly, you must win the opening lead or you might get a fatal spade switch.

Then you must decide which line you are going to adopt — the 50 per cent finesse, or the spade discard which depends on clubs breaking no worse than 5-3.

West’s bidding and lead together with the 17 per cent chance of a 6-2 club break, slightly favour the discard option; if you take this, you must be careful to play ♣J (not the ace), before drawing trumps, otherwise good opponents will knock out dummy’s ♠A before you have established the club.

(If West has ♣K doubleton, you are doomed with either option).