Bridge Andrew Robson

Picking up inferences from what players have not done is at least as important as picking up the more obvious inferences from what players have done. Take this month’s deal, in which West did not lead his partner’s hearts. Why not?

Dealer East Both Vulnerable

West led ♦ 10 and declarer worked out why West had not led a heart: he didn’t have one. However it was not obvious how declarer could avoid losing three hearts and the king of clubs.

At the table declarer relied upon East to hold that king of clubs – after all, he was the opening bidder. Declarer won the king of diamonds, drew trumps in three rounds and played ace of clubs and a club towards his queen. Had East held the king, the queen of clubs would have been promoted for a heart discard from dummy. West beat the queen of clubs with the king and declarer lost three heart tricks to go down one.

There is a surefire line, assuming West has no hearts. Win the king of diamonds, draw three rounds of trumps finishing in dummy, cash the ace of diamonds discarding a club and play ace and another club. If West wins the club (as here), he is endplayed to give ruff-and-discard (heart discard from dummy, ruff in hand); while if East wins the club, he has to play hearts, giving dummy the queen on the third round, or give the similarly fatal ruffand-discard. Ten tricks and game made – elegantly simple and perhaps easier if the queen of clubs had been a small club.