Bridge Play

This week’s deals have treated the play at the first trick — a fine time to make sure your play to the remaining 12 doesn’t matter one way or another. To test yourself, cover the East-West cards.

East-West would have been down only one at five hearts doubled, and since you were unwilling to accept a meager penalty (and couldn’t be sure of beating five hearts at all), you pushed on to five spades. West leads the ace of hearts. How do you play?

GOOD CLUBS

The problem is easier on paper. South must not ruff the first trick; he must pitch his club loser. West could hold South to 11 tricks by cashing the ace of diamonds, but if he leads another heart, South ruffs, draws trumps, takes the A-K of clubs and ruffs a club. He gets back to dummy with a trump to discard two diamonds on the good clubs, making six.

If South reflexively ruffs the first heart, East will win a club trick later and lead a diamond, giving the defense three tricks.

Did you go right at Trick One?

You hold: AK7 Q74 93

A K 5 4 2. Your partner opens one diamond, you bid two clubs and he rebids two diamonds. What do you say?

Partner suggests minimum opening values. You surely have a game and may have a slam, especially if he has a six-card diamond suit. His hand might be 5 4, K 6 2, A K Q 10 8 5, Q 3. But if he has J 5 4, A 6 5, A Q J 8 7 4, 6, you will be happy to bring home 3NT. Bid two spades, forcing, to see what partner does next.