Bridge - The Scotsman 13/10/12

SOMETIMES success depends on an apparently insignificant detail – can you play the cards in the right order here?

The West hand is a clear-cut opening bid: it conforms to the Rule of 19 (HCP + number of cards in the two longest suits = 19 or more) and has just seven losers. The downside is that when partner responds at the two-level you have an uncomfortable rebid – 3C would show a far better hand than this, so you have to twice bid the threadbare spades.

On this occasion you land on your feet: 4S is a reasonable enough spot. North leads the four of hearts. To facilitate communication you duck to South’s king, and he returns a heart to the queen and ace. When you lead a spade from dummy South produces the queen and you win the ace. What now?

You have five tricks in aces and kings in the side suits, so you need five trump tricks. It appears that North has 1098x, so you must lose a trump trick, and playing trumps will not work. How about a dummy reversal? If you can make two of your little trumps by ruffing a heart and a diamond all will be well.

One declarer duly played ace, king and ruffed a diamond, then crossed to the jack of spades to trump a heart. With seven tricks in he crossed to the ace of clubs, cashed the king of spades and led a club to the king. Alas, North ruffed that and cashed a heart and a diamond for one down. Can you do better?

Whenever you embark on a crossruff-related line you should cash side-suit winners early. Tackle clubs first, and cater for North having a singleton. If you play king, then a low club towards dummy there is nothing he can do. If he ruffs, he ruffs a loser. If he does not ruff you have scored your tenth trick and can set about cashing the other nine.