Check all your options

Bridge players usually see a line of declarer play and take it. Often, however, there are two lines and it's best if you can test both before committing.

Playing on OKbridge Tuesday night, many declarers found themselves in 3NT on this layout:

                  ♠ K 5 3 2
                  ♥ A K 5
                  ♦ A K 8 7 4
                  ♣ Q

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                  ♠ A Q 7
                  ♥ 10 7 6 3
                  ♦ 10 3 2
                  ♣ K 5 4

West led the ♣J to the queen and ace. East returned the ♣3 which was ducked. West won and returned a middle club to clear the suit, East playing the ♣2. Now what?

Several declarers relied on a 3-3 spade split. They played the ♠A (East-West both followed) and the ♠Q on which West showed out and the contract could no longer be made.

There are two realistic chances:
(1) One is for spades to be 3-3 and
(2) the other is for clubs to be 6-3. When East has no more clubs, South can try and duck a diamond into his hand. Declarer would then take four diamond tricks when the suit splits.

(If there is a doubleton ♦Q J, the contract could also be made, but that is really a long shot.)

The best line is to try to combine your options by playing to the ♠K and back to the ♠A. Sometimes declarer can guess if spades are 3-3 or not. A decision has to be made, but South is no worse off.

Here are all four hands:

                   ♠ K 5 3 2
                   ♥ A K 5
                   ♦ A K 8 7 4
                   ♣ Q
♠ 10                          ♠ J 9 8 6 4
♥ J 9 4                       ♥ Q 8 2
♦ Q J 6                       ♦ 9 5
♣ J 10 9 8 7 6                ♣ A 3 2
                  ♠ A Q 7
                  ♥ 10 7 6 3
                  ♦ 10 3 2
                  ♣ K 5 4

In the play at the table, after leading to the ♠K and back to the ♠A, declarer sees that spades split 5-1. This allows him to shift gears and go for the avoidance play of leading a low diamond and ducking it into the East hand. If East has no more clubs (as it looked like he might from his play of the ♣3, followed by the ♣2), the return can be won and the contract made when diamonds were originally 3-2.

When declarer leads a diamond in this scenario, however, West can play the jack or queen. Now, do you see the importance of leaving the ♠Q in your hand as a re-entry? Declarer can return to his hand and lead another diamond (in fact, the ♦10 would pin the 9 in East's hand) to complete the avoidance play.

To see what everyone did click here. Thanks to xwing for calling my attention to this board.