AFTER TECHNIQUE COMES FLEXIBILITY

If all bridge deals featured textbook plays, we would become bored very quickly. Luckily, there are many contracts that call for an abnormal approach. In these, usually it is important to consider the deal as a whole, not just one suit.On today’s deal, West leads the heart king against South’s contract of three no-trump. What should be declarer’s plan of campaign?North’s negative double showed exactly four spades.Often, with this heart holding, declarer would hold up the ace until the third round. But is that right here?South has eight top tricks: four spades, one heart, two diamonds and one club. He can get his ninth winner from the club suit, except that he would be taking the finesse into West, the player with all of the hearts to cash. As the finesse rates to lose, declarer should engineer an endplay. He wins the second round of hearts with the ace, checking whether East follows once or twice. Then South cashes his diamond and spade winners. This brings West down to five cards. Probably, he will discard one club and three diamonds, retaining three hearts and two clubs. If so, declarer leads a heart. West cashes his three winners but then must lead away from the club king at trick 12.Seems straightforward, but a clever West will put South to a guess. He will discard the diamond four, the diamond queen and two clubs. If he does that, declarer must cash the club ace to drop the nowsingleton king. If he gets that right, he has a story to tell his grandchildren. If he gets it wrong, West can relate the tale.