Mahatma Gandhi said, "Almost anything you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it."
That really applies to this deal, where East's hand looks insignificant, except that he has dummy's diamonds under control. But he has a key play to make in the defense against three no-trump. Can you see what it is?
South isn't wild about responding one no-trump, but he is not strong enough to bid two clubs.
West leads the heart queen.
South, with only seven top tricks (three spades, two hearts, one diamond and one club), must establish his club suit. And preferring to lead clubs twice from the board, South gobbles the first trick in the dummy and immediately plays a club to his nine. Let's assume West wins with the queen (though most people play the king in this position) and returns another heart. (He should lead the eight, the bottom card in his sequence.) Declarer wins in his hand, plays a spade to dummy, and leads the second club toward his hand.
East needs to be ready with his play. He must contribute his 10. If he does, South will place him with the K-10-4 of clubs and finesse his jack, going down three! But what happens if East plays a careless club six on the second round? If East has the K-10-6-3 of clubs, declarer cannot make his contract. He will be forced to assume West started with the doubleton king-queen. South will rise with his club ace and bring home 11 tricks. This is "only" a difference of five tricks riding on the play of one card.
That really applies to this deal, where East's hand looks insignificant, except that he has dummy's diamonds under control. But he has a key play to make in the defense against three no-trump. Can you see what it is?
South isn't wild about responding one no-trump, but he is not strong enough to bid two clubs.
West leads the heart queen.
South, with only seven top tricks (three spades, two hearts, one diamond and one club), must establish his club suit. And preferring to lead clubs twice from the board, South gobbles the first trick in the dummy and immediately plays a club to his nine. Let's assume West wins with the queen (though most people play the king in this position) and returns another heart. (He should lead the eight, the bottom card in his sequence.) Declarer wins in his hand, plays a spade to dummy, and leads the second club toward his hand.
East needs to be ready with his play. He must contribute his 10. If he does, South will place him with the K-10-4 of clubs and finesse his jack, going down three! But what happens if East plays a careless club six on the second round? If East has the K-10-6-3 of clubs, declarer cannot make his contract. He will be forced to assume West started with the doubleton king-queen. South will rise with his club ace and bring home 11 tricks. This is "only" a difference of five tricks riding on the play of one card.