BRIDGE
Optimist
Andrew Robson
IF you cannot make your contract unless a critical card is held by one opponent, then you must assume it to be so.
Dealer North North-South vulnerable South West North East 1+ 14 1NT pass 3NT pass pass pass East had risked a flimsy overcall, getting West off to the best opening lead of 4K. Declarer withheld his ace and West led a second 4 to East's 410, declarer ducking his ace again. He won the third 4 and West discarded a low ♦. Taking the + suit in isolation, the best play to restrict the losers to just +A is to lead +8 and play low in dummy, hoping for West to have +Q. Without considering the whole hand, declarer did precisely that. East won +0, cashed his two 4 winners and West also made +A — down two. Even though East is likely to hold +A for his bid, declarer cannot make his contract in that case East has sufficient 4 winners to beat the contract. Declarer must assume West holds +K. He should lead a f to dummy's king and, when that wins, play a second + from dummy. East's 4,0 and West's +A crash together, dummy's +s are established and declarer makes an overtrick. West can actually defeat the contract even if declar- er wins the third round of 4s and leads a + to dummy's king — can you spot how? He must jettison his +A on the third round of 4s. Now declarer cannot establish +s with- out East winning the lead. Indeed West should find this spectacular play, as he has no hope of beating the contract unless his partner holds +Q. To secure his contract against best defence, declarer must win the second round of 4s and lead a f to dummy's king. That way West has no opportunity to discard +A.
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