Time hovers o’er the contract

Hesiod, an ancient Greek poet, wrote, “Observe due measure, for right timing is in all things the most important factor.” That includes bridge, of course.

Today’s deal, from a tournament in the watch center of the world, Switzerland, is an interesting example. How should South time the play in four hearts after West leads the diamond five?

North-South were using four-card majors, hence North’s three-heart, not four-heart, preemptive raise over West’s unsound takeout double. (Not short in hearts, fewer than four spades, etc., etc.) With gameinvitational values, North would have bid a conventional two no-trump. Holding 19 high-card points, South felt justified in going to game.

Without thinking too much, one declarer won with dummy’s diamond king, cashed the heart ace-king and ran the diamonds, discarding two spades from the dummy. However, West ruffed and returned a low club. Whatever South did next, he had

to lose three black-suit tricks to go down one.

The winning line was found by Janusz Polec, a Polish world champion. He took the first trick in the dummy and played a club to the king and ace. West returned a diamond, and declarer cashed a third round, discarding a club from the dummy. Next, South took the club queen, ruffed the club five in

the dummy, drew two rounds of trumps ending in his hand and led the diamond jack. West discarded, but Polec put him on play with a trump. West had to lead a black card, conceding either a spade around to the king or a ruff-and-sluff in clubs: contract made.