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Bridge
By Philip Adler
Sydney Smith, an English humorist, writer and cleric who died in 1845, said, "Do not try to push your way through to the front ranks of your profession, do not run after distinctions and rewards, but do your utmost to find an entry into the world of beauty."
How attitudes change! Some would say that the world is more beautiful when you win distinctions and rewards. But today's key word in Smith's comment is "entry." In this deal, South needs an entry to his hand. Where is it?
After South made a weak jump overcall, North was tempted to advance with three no-trump. That would not have worked well against best defense. East-West could have taken one spade and four clubs.
South sees four potential losers: one spade, one diamond and two clubs. To have any chance, he should assume that West has the diamond king (which is more likely than East's holding a singleton king). But if the finesse is working, declarer needs a hand entry. A heart ruff looks like a candidate, but South also needs heart winners on which to discard club losers. He should win the first trick with dummy's heart ace, then play the heart queen.
First, assume East covers with his king. South ruffs, draws trumps ending on the board and discards two clubs on the heart J-10. He concedes one spade and one club.
Second, if East does not play his heart king, South pitches a club and continues with the heart jack. If East plays low again, South throws another club. Then -- this is tough to spot -- he must continue with the heart 10 and jettison his last club. Surprisingly, his hand entry becomes a club ruff.