BRIDGE

Recommended Line: Most players will win the first trick, cross to a spade, and finesse in hearts. West wins, and, defending well, exits in hearts. Trumps are drawn, spades are cashed, ending in dummy, and a club is finessed. West wins, leads a diamond to East, and a club comes back. The defenders make two club tricks, a diamond and a heart. These declarers will point out that it’s a 76 percent probability that two club finesses will yield some sort of success. You qualify for some sympathy if that’s your justification for going down, since it is indeed against the odds. But, if you want success, not sympathy, just duck at trick one. They probably lead a second diamond, which you win, and the play goes the same way for a while. But the difference is this: when the trumps have been drawn, spades played to completion, and a club finesse loses, West cannot reach East by leading a diamond. That would give you a priceless ruff and discard. One simple move at trick one makes your contract watertight as long as trumps break 3-2.