Bridge Hand I

In today’s hand, south got to a reasonable contract of  4 spades.  He could count 8 top tricks in the black suits.  His 9^th and 10^th tricks would come from trumping 2 diamonds in dummy.  Since he needed only 2 trumps in dummy to trump the diamonds, he thought it would be wise to draw 2 rounds of trump.   Of course to trump diamonds in dummy he had to give up a diamond trick.  When he led a diamond, west won and led his last trump. Now south will have to lose  another diamond for down 1.  South should realize that missing 4 trumps, they will divide 3-1 half the time.

A much safer play would have been to give up a diamond trick early.  Now he can trump 2 diamonds for his 9^th and 10^th tricks.

Gil Herod, author of this column, is a retired thoracic surgeon and
past president of Indiana Methodist Hospital Medical Staff.
He is a Gold Life Master in bridge, and an experienced bridge teacher,
certified by the American Contract Bridge League.