Make declarer work for his winners

Fred Allen, a comedian who died in 1956, said, "A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to become well-known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized."

In bridge, part of the job of defenders is to make declarer work hard for his contract. It is frustrating for the defenders if they effectively gift declarer the tricks that he needs.

In this deal, for example, how should West make South work hard for his six-club contract after West leads the heart king?

South opened with a textbook three clubs: a good seven-card suit and 6-10 high-card points. North was surprised to learn that his side had a 13-card fit, and he might have immediately jumped to six clubs. If South also had the spade ace, he would have opened one club, not three clubs. But North cautiously used Blackwood before settling South into six clubs.

Declarer has 11 top tricks: one heart, three diamonds and seven clubs. He must get a spade trick. But does West hold the spade ace or queen?

South wins the first trick with dummy's heart ace, and East drops the two, giving count in the suit and showing an odd number.

Declarer cashes dummy's three diamond winners, discarding his remaining heart, and ruffs the heart jack in his hand. Then he leads a spade toward dummy's king-jack.

West must smoothly play second hand low. He knows his side needs two spade tricks to defeat the contract. He must not save declarer a guess by winning with the ace - or by thinking about it for a moment.