There may be variety in similarity

Some 400 years ago, Richard Barnfield, who was an English poet, described the main reason why bridge has retained its popularity: “Nothing more certain than uncertainties; Fortune is full of fresh variety; Constant in nothing but inconstancy.”

You are defending against three notrump. Your partner leads his fourthhighest heart, dummy tables two low and you are looking at A-J-X. How would you plan the defense?

Right -- normally you win with the ace and return the jack, hoping partner’s suit is long and strong enough that you can take the first five tricks. But in the fresh variety of bridge, uncertainties creep in. Sometimes that isn’t the correct play -- as in today’s deal.

If East wins the first trick with the heart ace and returns the jack, South just ducks. He wins the third heart with the king, takes the diamond finesse and soon claims an overtrick.

However, East quickly counted the points. He knew declarer had 15-17, there were 15 in the dummy and he had 8 in his own hand. This left at most 2 for West. He couldn’t have the heart king -- but maybe he had the queen. So East played the heart jack at trick one.

If psychic, South would have ducked. But he was afraid that West had led from ace-queen-fifth of hearts. Then, if South ducked, he would lose the first five tricks. So South won with the king and took the diamond finesse. However, it lost, and East continued with the heart ace and another heart. Despite having a combined 30 points, South went down one.