A fine declarer plays most hands as if he can see every card in the defenders’ hands. This knack of playing as if all the cards are exposed can be attributed to inferences declarer draws from either the bidding or the early plays by the defense.
To illustrate, examine this deal where declarer should make five diamonds even though he seems certain to lose a club and two hearts. Assume West leads the nine of spades in response to East’s opening spade bid. Since the nine is obviously West’s highest spade, declarer knows that East holds the K-10, and he should put this knowledge to good use by covering the nine with the jack. Failure to do so would cost declarer the contract after East followed low to West’s nine.
After South takes East’s king of spades with the ace, he enters dummy with a trump, leads a spade, and finesses the eight. Next he cashes the queen of spades, discarding a club from dummy, and then ruffs his last spade.
The stage is now set for the kill. Declarer plays dummy’s king of clubs, saddling East with the lead, and East has no recourse. He can return a heart to dummy’s K-J, or he can lead a club or a spade, allowing South to discard a heart and ruff in dummy. Either way, East’s goose is cooked.
Declarer’s line of play is clearly marked from the start. East’s opening bid virtually marks him with the ace of clubs, and West’s nine-of-spades lead tells declarer that East has the K-10 of spades. All South has to do is to put this information to good use.
Tomorrow: The end justifies the means.
