Bridge: May 12, 2019

Today’s deal reminds me of the man who couldn’t sleep because he heard voices under his bed. A psychiatrist offered therapy for $200 per hour, but the sufferer found a simpler solution: He hired a carpenter who charged $10 to cut the legs off the bed.

South arrived at four spades after opening with a weak two-bid. When West led the king of diamonds, declarer took dummy’s ace and hastened to take the A-K of hearts to pitch his diamond loser.

Alas, West ruffed and led a trump, and when East took the ace and returned a trump, South was sunk. He won in dummy and led a club to his king, but West took the ace and led a high diamond. South ruffed, cashed the queen of clubs and ruffed a club with dummy’s last trump, but his fourth club was a loser. Down one.

South may have lost sleep over his play; he had a simple route home by counting winners and losers. South has only three fast losers — a diamond and the two black aces — and he can count 10 winners: five trumps, a diamond, a club, a club ruff in dummy and two hearts. So South doesn’t need a fast discard on the hearts. At Trick Two he should lead a club to his king.

Say West wins, cashes a diamond and leads his singleton heart. Declarer takes the ace, comes to the queen of clubs, ruffs a club, ruffs a heart high and ruffs a club. He then starts the trumps and is sure of 10 tricks.

If instead West leads a trump at the fourth trick, and East wins and returns a trump, trumps are drawn. South can win a trick with dummy’s second high heart, giving him 10 in all.

South dealer

Both sides vulnerable

NORTH

S Q 8 6

H A K 10 8 6 4

D A 10

C 8 5

WEST

S 4 2

H 5

D K Q J 8 7 4 2

C A 9 4

EAST

S A 5

H Q J 9 7 3

D 9 5

C J 10 7 3

SOUTH

S K J 10 9 7 3

H 2

D 6 3

C K Q 6 2

South West North East

2 S 3 D 4 S All Pass

Opening lead — D K

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