Declarer's maneuvers in the trump suit

[Photo/China Daily]

Mark Twain said, "Tell the truth or trump - but get the trick."

A bridge player will happily trump if it gains a trick, but there are times when winning that one trick costs two in the future. This week, we will look at declarer's efforts to gain extra trump tricks and to avoid losing tricks unnecessarily.

In this deal, for example, South is in four hearts. West leads his fourth-highest spade. East wins with the ace and returns the spade four. Should South discard a club loser or ruff?

In the auction, North showed a balanced 18-19 points with his two-no-trump rebid. Then South bid what he hoped he could make. Note that if South had chosen to rebid three no-trump, the defenders would have had a chance at a plus score. East would have had to lead a spade. Then West would have had to take the trick and shift to the club queen or nine - a very tough assignment.

In four hearts, South starts with nine top tricks: six hearts and three diamonds. And if he pitches a club on the second spade, he will establish a spade trick in the dummy. But there is a potential bee in the balm. West will take the trick and can shift to a club. If East holds the club ace, the contract will fail.

Instead, South should trump at trick two, draw trumps, and try to run the diamonds. When they split 3-3, the contract is assured. But if the diamonds are 4-2 or worse, declarer trumps the last spade or diamond in his hand and leads a club in the hope that West has the ace.