Puzzle This

You could, of course, win the trick in dummy and play a club toward your king. This works as long as West didn’t start with both minor-suit aces. There’s a slightly better line, however, that increases your chances.

You start with nine tricks: six trumps and three spades. If either minor-suit ace is onside or if spades are 3–3 you can make your 10th, game-going trick. When the ♦A turned out to be on your left, however, a little care is required in which order you play to give yourself the best shot.

The superior play is to overtake the ♥Q with the ace, draw the remaining trump, and play three rounds of spades, ending in dummy. If the spades are 3–3, you’re home: Simply cash the 13th spade.

If the spades aren’t 3–3, however, you can use your dummy entry to play a club toward your king.

What happens if both aces are offside and spades aren’t 3–3? Simple: You can’t make 4♥!.