A simple tip

East made an understandable error on this week’s deal. Would you?

South accepted North’s 2 NT invitation to Game – marginal with 13 points – because of his three 10’s.

West led ♦ A and continued with ♦ KQ and then ♦ 3 – a length winner. North and South discarded ♠s and East discarded ♣ 3. West then switched to ♠ 2. South beat East’s ♠ J with ♠ A and cashed his four ♣ winners. East had to make two discards: first he discarded ♠ Q but then, holding as his last five cards ♠ K and ♥ 6432 and being unwilling to part with ♠ K, he let go ♥ 2. This was the crucial error – though his ♥s were very feeble – he needed to keep all four of them to match dummy’s ♥ length. Declarer was now able to cash ♥ AKQ and table ♥ 5 as his ninth trick.

East should have discarded ♠ K on the fourth ♣, hoping West held ♠ 10. East’s ♥ 6 would then have beaten dummy’s ♥ 5 on the fourth round and declarer would have been unable to make his contract.

It was ironic that South had bid 3 NT on the strength of holding three 10’s. They each proved worthless – but if he had held the fourth 10 – ♠ 10 – then he would have made his contract however East discarded. Assuming he chose to discard all his ♠s (as he should), then declarer would have scored ♠ 10 as his ninth trick.

ANDREW’S TIP: Keep equal length with dummy.