Goren bridge: Solving the problem

Today’s deal is from a match between a team from Denmark and a team from France. At the other table, the French West player chose to raise hearts at his first turn. North-South found their spade fit and played in the unhappy contract of four spades, down four. At this table, West chose to bid one spade, picking off the North-South spade fit. Three no trump was not such a happy contract either, but it was played by French star Catherine D’Ovidio, sitting South.

D’Ovidio won the opening heart lead with her ace and assessed her chances. A successful spade finesse would give her two spade tricks and two hearts. She would need five tricks from the diamond suit. Assuming East had the king of diamonds for the opening bid, it would have to be doubleton. She couldn’t play the ace of diamonds and then play a low diamond from both hands, as she would have no entry back to her hand for the king of hearts and to take the spade finesse. If she cashed the high heart, and took the spade finesse before playing on diamonds, the opponents would have enough winners to defeat her. She solved the problem neatly by leading a low diamond away from her ace and playing low from dummy. She still had the ace of diamonds as an entry for the king of hearts and the spade finesse. When the king of diamonds fell under the ace and the spade finesse worked, she had nine tricks. Beautifully done!