Kingman Daily Miner – 22 Ago 1979
Opening lead — ace of spades
As the play progresses and declarer learns more about how the cards are divided, he can frequently use this knowledge to make a contract that might otherwise be lost. Here is a typical case where West leads a spade against three notrump. The outcome seems very promising after South wins the spade lead with the ten, since all that declarer now needs is either the normal 3-2 division in diamonds or a 3-3 club break. If either suit in favorably divided, South automatically acquires his ninth trick.
But when declarer plays the ace of diamonds at trick two, East unexpectedly shows out; and when declarer next cashes the A-K-Q of clubs, West shows out on the third round, discarding a diamond.
For one long moment it seems that South has bitten off more than he can chew and that there is no way of making a ninth trick. Nevertheless, if he keeps a cool head, South eventually concludes that three notrump is still ice-cold.
He already knows that West started with exactly five diamonds and two clubs. South also knows — or can at least deduce — that West, for his one spade bid, must have either five or six spades. Accordingly, declarer plays a heart to dummy’s ace. When West follows suit with the queen, it is then reasonable for South to conclude that West’s original distribution was 5-1-5-2.
The rest of the play is easy enough. Declarer leads the Jack of spades from dummy, allowing West to cash his A-K-9-3. However, West must then lead a diamond from the J-10-8, with dummy holding the Q-9-5 and South the K-7-2. Regardless of which diamond West chooses to return, South makes three more diamond tricks and the contract. That’s all there is to it.