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Posted on Thu, Jul 5, 2012 : 5 a.m.

Bridge column, July 5: Declarer must play the right honor

By Phillip Alder

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Isaac Newton said, "To me there has never been a higher source of earthly honor or distinction than that connected with advances in science."

Bridge theory has been studied for several decades. The greatest advances have been made in bidding and defensive signaling. However, many still play the wrong cards. In this column, we will look at not giving free information to the defenders.

South is in three no-trump. West leads his fourth-highest club and East puts up the jack. How should South continue?

The key play comes immediately. Declarer must win the first trick with his king. Why?

If South wins with the club queen, West then knows that declarer also has the king. Why?

Because if East had had the king and jack, he would have played the king at trick one, third hand high.

When South wins with the king, West does not know who has the queen. If East had the queen and jack, he would have tabled the jack, the bottom of touching honors when playing third hand high.

Declarer crosses to dummy's heart jack, then runs the diamond queen (or nine).

It loses, but now West has to guess what to do. If East has the club queen, the defenders can run the suit. But if South has that queen, West must shift to the spade seven (top of nothing), hoping his partner can win with the ace and return a club through declarer's queen.

When declarer plays from touching honors out of his hand, it is almost always right to choose the top of the touchers. Keep the lower honors hidden.

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