BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

You end up playing in 3NT, after East had overcalled North’s heart bid with 1♠. West leads ♠7; how would you play?

This is a similar example to yesterday’s, stressing the importance of planning the play before you start to play. You have plenty of tricks available, but you have to knock out the opponents’ key cards before West can get his spades established. it would be wrong to assume that East has all the outstanding values just because he has overcalled. if he has, you have no problem, but you must plan for West holding ♣K, and ensure that you put up dummy’s ♠Q on the first trick to force East on lead. if you play low thoughtlessly, East will force out your king; then West will be able to regain the lead with ♣K to play spades through dummy’s Q10 before you’ve made nine tricks!