Seeing the solution takes foresight

Ed Koch, a former mayor of New York City, said, "In action, be primitive; in foresight, a strategist."

A good strategist surely has foresight, especially when he is a top bridge player. Today's deal is based on one from last year's European Open Championships in Tromso, Norway. Southis insix spades. What is the percentage play for only one trump loser? How should declarer plan the play after West leads the diamond jack?

The correct play in the trump suit is low to the queen on the first round. Then, if the finesse loses, you will need the jack to drop under the ace. The declarer from Finland did exactly that and made the contract because East actually had king-doubleton. After the queen held, he cashed the spade ace, unblocked the heart ace, played another trump, and claimed.

However, if this had been the layout, notice what might have happened. West would have won with his king and, if in midseason form, would have shifted to a club. Declarer would have won with dummy's king and continued with the club ace, but East would have ruffed, and South would have eventually lost a diamond trick to go down one.

Thomas Paske from England exhibited foresight by anticipating this possibility. Before taking the spade finesse, he played a heart to his ace, crossed to dummy with a club, and discarded his diamond loser on the heart king. Then he took the spade finesse. Well played for no gain-bridge can be like that at times.