Bridge: “How easy for those who do not bulge to not overindulge!” – Ogden Nash

Today’s deal is deceptively simple, but I guarantee that a number of experts would get it wrong at the table.

With that hint, put yourself in declarer’s position, playing three no-trump.

On the lead of the spade queen, East plays a discouraging three.

You can hold up now, but a heart shift might bother you, so it looks sensible enough to take the trick and hold up later.

With the shortage of entries to dummy, it looks right to take the losing diamond finesse to East, who wins and returns a second spade. You duck, win the next spade in hand, cash the diamonds, and take the club finesse – down one.

You can justifiably claim you were unlucky, with both key finesses losing – or can you?

In fact, with West clearly the hand that is long in spades, his is the only danger hand.

You do not mind losing the diamond finesse, but you do not want to lose the club finesse to West after his spades have been established.

The winning line is to take the spade at trick one and play the club ace and a second club at once.

Yes, you might blow an overtrick when the club finesse was working, but what harm could you possibly come to by this line?

Even if East could win with the club king and continue spades, you simply duck one spade, win the next, then take the diamond finesse into the safe hand for nine tricks.

Bid with the aces

South holds:

Answer: Give preference to three diamonds.

Your support is more than adequate, and the advantage of making the most economical call is to let your partner tell you why he forced to game.

(It could be because he has a real two-suiter, or support for spades, or just a very big hand.)

Regardless, the more space he has, the easier it will be for him to show what he has.