KEEP THE ARMED MAN AWAY FROM YOU

“A danger foreseen is halfavoided” is a proverb of the Cheyenne.

When you are the declarer, quite often one defender is the danger hand, the person you cannot afford to let on lead. If you recognize the threat, you increase the chance that you will make your contract.

In today’s deal, how should South play in four hearts after West leads the spade king and East signals with the jack?

In the auction, North’s double was negative, promising four hearts (or five or six if he didn’t have sufficient points to bid two hearts).

The main danger is that West holds the diamond ace. Then, South could easily lose one spade, one heart and two diamonds. So, he must try to keep East off the lead. Therefore, declarer must duck the first trick, in case East’s spade jack is from the J-10 rather than J-x doubleton. Let’s suppose West continues with another spade. South takes that trick and must lead a low heart.

If he cashes the ace first, he gives West a chance to be a hero, sacrificing his king. West knows declarer doesn’t have the heart jack; otherwise, he would have taken the trump finesse.

After the low-heart lead, how can West defend? If he wins with his king, South will score 10 tricks via one spade, three hearts, five clubs and a spade ruff in his hand. If West plays low, declarer puts up dummy’s queen and then leads a low heart. When East plays the nine, South ducks, allowing West to score his king anyway, but keeping East off the lead.

Afterward, West, tongue in cheek, will apologize for not leading a low spade!