By Phillip Alder

THE ASSUMPTION THAT HELPS DECLARER

Angela Ahrendts, a businesswoman who was, inter alia, the CEO of Burberry, said, “Ask questions; don’t make assumptions.”

We ask ourselves questions all the time at the bridge table, but in answering them, we must sometimes make assumptions about where particular cards lie. One form of that occurs in today’s deal.

Against South’s four-heart contract, West leads the spade ace, cashes the spade king and plays a third spade. How should declarer continue after ruffing East’s spade queen?

Both North and South bid the spots off their cards. With such poor distribution, North was only just worth his limit raise, which showed at least four trumps and some 11 total points. South, who had a minimum opening, should have passed, but he wanted to try for the vulnerable game bonus.

At trick four, South led a heart to the king and ace. When the trumps broke 3-1, he had to lose another trump trick and finished down one.

“Sorry, partner,” he said. “I knew I should have passed over three hearts.”

“I agree with that,” North replied, “but I think you should have made your game.”

“Why should I play East for the heart ace rather than West?”

“Well, to stand any chance, you must assume that the club finesse is working. If it is, that gives West at least 10 points: the club king and the spade aceking. This makes it more likely that East will have the heart ace. You should cross to dummy with a diamond and play a low heart through East.”

This type of reasoning is called a second-degree assumption.