The Sydney Morning Herald – 27 Abr 1989 by Greg Quittner
BRIDGE players are used to developing tricks from their long suits in no trumps. This hand from a recent Wednesday night tournament at Gordon Bridge Centre is a good example of how declarer needs to look to the short suit for the winning trick:
Dealer South, N/S vulnerable.
West lands in a contract of 3NT and receives the lead of the 3 of diamonds. At first sight, the contract appears to rest on finding the queen of hearts. But-wait! If the finesse is wrong, the defence will cash 3 diamond tricks, plus a heart and the ace of spades for one down. Is there an alternative?
With the clubs breaking 3-2, there are 5 club tricks plus 1 diamond and 2 hearts. This represents a total of 8 tricks, so the solution lies not in hearts but in spades! West should simply run 5 club tricks and then lay down the king of spades. North wins the trick but now the queen of spades constitutes the ninth trick for West. The principle of establishing winners in your long suits in no trumps is a general one.
Here we saw an example of the winning trick coming from the short suit. In bridge, one should always be aware that there are exceptions to the rule.