Facing the worst case scenario in bridge

The bidding:
East   South   West   North
Pass   1 NT     Pass   3 NT
Opening lead -- four of spades.

Establishing a long suit at either notrump or suit contracts is one of the most common of all procedures. Before attempting to set up a suit, however, declarer should consider whether one approach to the suit's establishment offers an advantage over another.

For example, take this deal where West led a spade against three notrump. South took East's nine with the king and, needing four club tricks to make the contract, led the deuce to dummy's queen as West followed suit with the three.

When East showed out, there was no longer any way to produce four tricks from the club suit. West's remaining holding of the A-10-9 made that task impossible. Furthermore, regardless of how declarer chose to continue, he could not score nine tricks before the opponents took five, and he finished down one.

Before attacking clubs, South should first examine the combined club holding to see whether it matters how he initiates the suit. Obviously, if the missing clubs are divided 2-2 or 3- 1, it makes no difference how he begins. But if one opponent holds all the missing clubs, the contract is in danger, so he should address himself to that possibility.

If East has four clubs, South cannot score more than three club tricks no matter how he plays. But if West has A-10-9-3, declarer can make four tricks in the suit if he starts by leading the jack from his hand.

Let's say West takes the jack with the ace and returns a spade. South wins and leads a club toward the K-Q- 8. When West plays the nine -- if he does not, dummy's eight wins the trick -- declarer takes the queen, returns to his hand with a heart and traps West's 10-3 of clubs by leading toward dummy's K-8. A diamond to the ace then allows South to score his fifth club, and the contract is home.

(c) 2006 King Features Synd., Inc.