I’m glad to hear that a number of you enjoyed the card-combination column of last week as it sort of ran away with me in length!

Play the percentages in bridge and you will be a winner in the long run, guaranteed!

Today’s hand also contains some aspects of knowing card combinations and I absolutely love the declarer play which was thoughtful and executed perfectly.

Dealer South

E/W Vulnerable

North

S KQ

H KQ1053

D Q742

C 75

West

S 1063

H 2

D AJ98

C QJ1062

East

S AJ982

H 986

D 10

C 9843

South

S 754

H AJ74

D K653

C AK

The bidding was over pretty quickly. South opened a 15-17 No Trump and North bid 2 Diamonds transferring to Hearts.

South duly bid 2 Hearts and North jumped to 3NT offering a choice of contracts and South understandably bid 4 Hearts.

West led the Queen of Clubs and it all looked easy … declarer had an unavoidable Spade loser and could afford to lose two Diamonds and still make the contract. This declarer, however, was wise enough to now ask what could go wrong and the answer was clear … there could be 3 Diamond losers, as there are on this hand! So he planned ahead.

Winning the Ace of Clubs declarer cashed two Hearts and played a Spade … East won and cleverly did not lead his singleton Diamond as the hand would be over even if he got a ruff, but instead exited with a Heart.

Declarer now cashed the Spade crossed to the Club and ruffed a Spade coming down to this position:

North

S

H 10

D Q742

C

West

S

H

D AJ98

C J

East

S J9

H

D 10

C 84

South

S

H J

D K653

C

Declarer now led a low Diamond and when East played the 10 … he ducked it!

This guaranteed the contract — if East had another Diamond and led one declarer was guaranteed two Diamond tricks … if not, as in this hand, East has to give declarer a ruff and discard, also providing the 10th trick! Great play!