It is a matter of necessity

Bridge article it is a matter of necessity by Norbert Lébely

In bridge – like in many other fields – it happens that the first impression is not the right one. So, be careful not to fall victim to instinctive behavior.

Teams. South Dealer, All Vul. Sitting South, you were dealt the following hand:

You open 1♥️- What else? North replies 1♠️ and you rebid 2NT. After this precise description, your partner takes the captaincy to get more information and he then signs off at 6♥️:

(1) Three or zero keycards.
(2) “Do you have the trump Queen?”
(3) “No, I do not.”

West starts off with the Jack of Diamonds and you can’t wait to discover your partner’s hand…

Contract: ♥️6. Lead: ♦️J.

What do you do at Trick One?

Without much conviction you ask for the Queen. As was to be expected, East covers with the King and , having nothing to gain – and even everything to lose – by cutting enemy communications on the first trick, you go up with the Ace.

What’s the situation for your winners?

Right now you have ten with four Spades, three Clubs, two Hearts and the Ace of Diamonds. You are missing two and even if the Heart Queen does not fall, the classic play with nine cards of cashing the Ace and King of trumps will easily provide them. This is exactly what happens: on the second round of Hearts, East discards the two of Diamonds.

You need a Funbridge Premium+ subscription to keep reading.

Take stock before you act… Which suit should you play first in order to improve your chances of winning? How will you benefit from this play? Please log in with a Premium+ account to read the full article.