The rubric that really rules

Bridge is full of adages, but the trouble — and fascination — with the game is that there are so many deals that are exceptions to the rules. However, there is one play technique that works all the time — unless (sorry!) you don’t have the entries to carry it out.

What is this universal truth? Lead toward honor combinations.

Against your contract of three no-trump, West leads the club king, East signaling encouragement with the nine. Without peeking at the East and West hands, how should South plan the play?

North might have overcalled one no-trump, but his weak hearts and fourcard spade suit persuaded him to double. He hoped South would not advance in clubs. South’s hand was worth his jump to two notrump with those good spot cards and his pair of aces.

From the bidding, declarer knew that West had almost all of the missing strength, including the heart king and spade ace. Therefore, South ducked the first club trick, but when West continued with the club two to his partner’s jack, declarer won with his ace. (Declarer could have ducked again if planning to win immediately with the ace when East switched to a heart.)

Next, South led a low spade toward dummy, putting up the queen when West played low. Declarer returned to hand with a diamond to the jack for the lead of a second low spade. Here, West had to play the ace on thin air, giving South three spade tricks. West cashed his clubs, but declarer discarded heart losers and claimed the balance. His nine tricks were three spades, one heart, four diamonds and one club.