Alder's NEA Bridge: East faced the inevitable

James Russell Lowell, who was one of the New England fireside poets, wrote, "There is no good in arguing with the inevitable. The only argument with an east wind is to put on your overcoat."

On today's deal, though, careful timing leads inevitably to sweet success for South and inevitably to disappointing defeat for East-West.

North chose not to use Stayman because of his strong intermediates. He felt confident that there wouldn't be an extra trick available in hearts even if they had a 4-4 fit. On some layouts, he would be wrong, but not using Stayman does have the advantage that it avoids giving the defenders more information about declarer's hand.

Looking only at the North-South cards, you can see 11 top tricks: three spades, three hearts, one diamond and four clubs. There are several chances for the 12th trick, and perhaps your first thought is to take a diamond finesse. Assuming it loses, you will try to drop the heart jack in three rounds, planning, if that fails, to take a second diamond finesse. To be sure, that's a good line of play, but it isn't the best available. There is a path that guarantees the contract anytime East has fewer than five clubs.

South cashes his four club winners, discarding a diamond from the dummy. Then he leads a diamond to the 10. East wins with the queen, but what can he return? Whichever suit he selects, it concedes an extra trick in that suit and furnishes declarer with 12 winners.

Always take a sure-trick line if one is available.