THE HEART BLOCKAGE WAS A CONTRACT SAVER

Pearl Buck, who won the Nobel Prize in literature and spent most of the first half of her life living in China, said, “Every great mistake has a halfway moment, a split second when it can be recalled and perhaps remedied.”

At the bridge table, if you suddenly realize that you have made a mistake, it is usually too bad. Only if playing at a Bridge Base Online casual table might you be permitted to “undo” your play.

South nearly slipped on today’s deal. What did he do in four spades after West led the heart 10?

South’s three-spade rebid invited game, indicating some 15-17 high-card points, whether North’s response was nonforcing, semiforcing or forcing. North naturally tried for game. (It was hard to bid three no-trump without a heart stopper.)

If West had led the diamond 10 and East had shifted to the heart king at trick two, the contract would have failed. Now, though, South had a chance. He had nine top tricks: six spades, one heart and two clubs. The immediate reaction was to hope that West had the diamond ace. But then the declarer saw that that chance could wait until he had tried a different approach.

South took the first trick with his heart ace, drew trumps and played three rounds of clubs, ruffing the last in his hand. Then he exited with a heart.

Yes! After East took two tricks in the suit, he was forced to play a diamond. Dummy’s king was declarer’s 10th trick.

If East had had a fourth heart, South would have ruffed and hoped West had the diamond ace, but the chosen line gave a second chance.