ACES ON BRIDGE

As we continue with the blocking theme, today’s declarer must exploit the defenders’ naivete.

After a fourth-highest heart lead, declarer can see he must develop diamonds. In so doing, he must prevent the defense from running four hearts should they get in.

East unthinkingly wins trick one with the jack and returns the king. Barring a relatively unlikely lead from a three-card suit, declarer can place the length with West if the suit is 5-3, in which case East must have king-queen-jack tripleton for the early play. So declarer can win the second heart, keeping the suit blocked, before turning to diamonds.

It seems natural to cash the king to allow for a 4-0 split, but what if East held a singleton diamond? Then East could pitch his blocking heart honor on the second round, and West would be able to run the hearts. Declarer does better to lead a low diamond from dummy next, ducking an honor from East, or covering a small card. Thus, he loses the first round of the suit, and the hearts remain blocked.

East’s play telegraphed the heart position for South. East should instead camouflage his holding either by winning the queen then playing the king, or by winning the jack and continuing with the queen, pretending West has the remaining honor. Declarer might then hold up the hearts a second time, intending to try to keep West off lead by advancing a low diamond from dummy. If so, declarer’s plan would fail against this lie of the cards.