Bad idea

Today’s deal is from a face-to-face tournament in Tasmania last April, at a time when many COVID-1

Today’s deal is from a face-to-face tournament in Tasmania last April, at a time when many COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in Australia. We are told that the country is back on lockdown as we write this.

When this deal was played, half of the declarers made 10 tricks in a spade contract and half failed. We suspect the failures received a club lead. It is considered a bad idea to lead a singleton when you have four trumps. Better to lead a long suit and try to set up a forcing defense. This declarer received a heart lead and was able to make his contract with careful timing.

South won the ace of hearts at trick one and ran the queen of clubs. East won with his king and returned the queen of hearts, covered with the king and ruffed by West. West exited safely with a club and declarer cashed the ace and king of spades, learning about the bad trump split. He then cashed two clubs, discarding a heart and a diamond from dummy. He led a heart, ruffing it in dummy, returned to his hand with a diamond, and ruffed his last heart. He thus scored both low trumps in dummy “en passant”. West could have ruffed anytime he wanted, but that would have been the last trick for the defense.

Declarer might have succeeded after a club lead with clairvoyant play, but many well-played hands would finish a trick short.