Can you defeat best and second-best?

[Photo provided to China Daily]

Jill Shalvis, an author of romance novels, wrote, "Smile. It's the second-best thing you can do with your lips."

Most bridge contracts offer two or more possible lines of play. Then careful analysis will show which is the best line and which is the second-best. Similarly, when a contract can be defeated, there will sometimes be a best defense and a second-best. In today's deal, though, the job for the defenders is to beat the contract whether declarer adopts the best line of play or the second-best.

What can happen after West leads the club king against four spades?

South might have opened two no-trump, but the lack of a heart stopper was a minus. Here, though, if he had, North would surely have raised to three no-trump, and that contract was impregnable. In four spades, though, South seems doomed to lose three hearts and one club. He has to hope the defenders slip and allow him to take five spades, three diamonds and two clubs, his ace and dummy's jack.

Declarer's second-best play is to win the first trick and draw trumps. However, on the second round, East can discard a discouraging diamond two. Then, when South leads his second club toward dummy's jack, West should find it easy to take that trick and shift to the heart 10.

Declarer does much better to lead his club six at trick two, before East has had a chance to signal. However, an experienced partnership will know the answer. At trick two, East plays his club nine, his highest club being a suit-preference signal for hearts. Discuss this deal with your partner.