One Step Ahead

4th June–Board 23. Game All. Dealer South.

Tempo is a very important commodity in bridge, as in life, and it always pays to be one step ahead

	North: S 7 6 2 H K 10 8 5 2 D J 10 C 10 8 3
West: S K 10 8 5 H 9 4 D A Q 4 2 C J 9 7		East: S A Q J 4 H J D K 9 6 3 C Q 6 5 4
	South: S 9 3 H A Q 7 6 3 D 8 7 5 C A K 2

West	North	East	South
			1H
No	2H	Dbl	No
3S	No	4S	End

These days there are fancy gadgets to describe that North hand after partner has opened with your longest suit but without such sophistication a simple raise seems enough. East doubles of course and after a pass from South West is easily good enough for a jump bid in spades. Although this is not forcing East should raise, even with this minimum double but six/seven loser hand. Suppose North leads a diamond, as West how would you go about this? It seems right to draw trumps but it would be a huge mistake to play on hearts now, aiming for a ruff in dummy. An astute defence would win the heart and play another, forcing out one of your two remaining trumps. Now when you eventually lead a club the defence will win and play another heart and now you will be out of trumps before you have established your club winner. Now when the second club is led the defence can cash whatever hearts they have left. Instead draw trumps ending in dummy and lead a club. It’s very hard for South to play low but if he did it’s just possible that declarer might play the nine, playing South for the ten and one top honour.