Bizarre

24th March – Board 4. Game All. Dealer West.

Sometimes you have to laugh when your best efforts just aren’t good enough.

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

West	North	East	South
No	1D	No	1H
No	3D	No	3NT
End

The bidding seems straightforward enough for a change with North being fully justified in making a jump rebid in his long suit, leading South to bid the obvious game. But what should West lead? My choice would be a low club but that gives declarer twelve easy tricks with the queen of hearts obligingly falling singleton. What is more a spade lead also ensures twelve tricks assuming declarer inserts the queen from dummy so bizarrely it is the diamond lead that causes most angst. Not that the contract is in danger of course and while twelve tricks can still be made they probably won’t, with declarer taking his winners in dummy and then his hearts in hand. Does it matter? Not in teams which would just mean a one imp loss, but in pairs it makes all the difference between a top and a bottom.