Perseverance and positivity help every declarer

Rose, my club member whose courtesy toward her fellow players is so admirable, is blessed with a winning attitude.

“I’ve heard you say that too many people complain about the thorns when they ought to rejoice in the roses,” I told her.

Rose’s positive outlook helps her as declarer, where she never gives up until the last card is played. She tries to ind every chance for the contract.

When today’s deal arose in a team match, both North-Souths got to six spades, and both Wests led the 10 of clubs: jack from dummy, queen, ruff.

At one table, declarer drew trumps and took the queen, king and ace of diamonds. A 3-3 break would have let him discard a heart from dummy on the 13th diamond, assuring the slam, but West threw a club. South then ruffed his fourth diamond in dummy and tried a heart to his queen. West produced the king, returned the jack and got another heart at the end. Down one. Could you do better? Rose was declarer at the other table. She also drew trumps and took the top diamonds, but when West discarded, Rose was reluctant to stake the slam on the heart inesse. Wanting an extra chance, she ruffed her last diamond in dummy and returned the king of clubs: ace, ruff. She then went to dummy with a trump and led the seven of clubs, and when East played low, Rose discarded a heart — a loser on a loser.

West won with the eight and was end-played. Whether he led a club, conceding a ruff-sluff, or a heart from his king, Rose would get her 12th trick.