Preserving trump entries

West kicked off with the ace of spades and East played the jack (a suit preference signal – not attitude – when dummy has a singleton), indicating the desire for a heart switch. West duly switched to the eight of hearts to East’s ten and declarer won the king.

Needing to dispose of his hearts on dummy’s diamonds, declarer needed to hope diamonds were splitting 3-3 and had to start that establishment process immediately. At tricks three and four he led ace and another diamond (key plays).

East won the second diamond with the queen, beating dummy’s jack and continued with the queen of hearts. Winning the ace, declarer ruffed his second spade with the two of clubs, then led the ten.

East was aware of the need to prevent declarer from winning the ten of trumps in dummy, enabling him to set up diamonds by ruffing a third  ound, so brightly covered the ten with the king. Declarer won the ace and now had to lead specifically the six of trumps, overtaking with the nine. When both followed, he ruffed a third diamond with the jack, again pleased to see the even split.

At trick ten declarer led the preserved three of trumps, overtaking with dummy’s four and could then cash the two long diamonds discarding his two remaining hearts. A clinically executed and not unfortunate 11 tricks and game made.

What of the defence? Although East asked for a heart at trick two, a second spade from West would have removed a dummy entry prematurely (and entries to the one-point dummy were obviously somewhat scarce). Declarer would now be unable to set up diamonds whilst also picking up the king of trumps. Down one.