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Bridge 5/26
The tempation is always great
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There are certain plays that are tempting at the bridge table. One sees a chance for an extra trick and does not always consider the implications if it turns out that that extra trick fails to materialize.
    This deal is a good example. You are South, the declarer in four spades. How would you plan the play after West leads the diamond three?
    With 19 high-card points, you must bid game. But with such weak red suits, you should not be surprised if you go down. Here, though, your partner has a maximum nine points and four trumps.
    First, check your losers. You should see two in hearts for sure, maybe one in diamonds, and probably one in clubs.
    Since West has led a low diamond, it is sorely tempting to assume that he has led away from the king and to call for dummy's diamond jack. If you do that here, though, you might go down in your contract. East will win with his diamond king and should shift to the club 10. You win with your ace, draw trumps ending on the board, and call for a heart. But East should rise with his king and play a second club. Then you are condemned to lose four tricks.
    Let's go back to trick one and win with dummy's diamond ace. You draw trumps, leaving a winner on the board, and continue with your heart queen. East may win with his king and shift to a club, but you take the trick in your hand and lead your second heart. Now your third club can disappear on dummy's heart jack. You lose only two hearts and one diamond.
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