It’s obvious, obviously

The Guardian newspaper in England has a fun column called “Notes & Queries.” It started with amusing signs being sent in by readers. For example, in a Peruvian cafe, bread with margarine 50 pesos, bread with butter 75 pesos, bread without butter 30 pesos, bread without margarine 20 pesos.

In bridge, there are a few suit combinations that are often mispriced -- I mean misplayed. Today’s deal features one of them. Against your contract of three notrump, West leads the diamond six. After East plays the jack and you win with the queen, how will you continue?

You have seven top tricks: two spades, three hearts and two diamonds. Maybe you attacked spades, hoping for a 3-3 split, but that will happen only about one time in three. Perhaps you played on clubs, but good defenders will defeat you. East will win with the ace (even if you start the suit from the dummy) and return his last diamond. West’s suit is established while he still holds the club king as an entry.

The original declarer was Colette Myrans from Belgium. She foresaw the dangers. Knowing she always had only two diamond tricks, Myrans didn’t win the first trick: She played her two, which cut the communications between the defenders.

As South played low smoothly, East returned the diamond seven. Now declarer could safely lead clubs.

However, even if East had switched to a spade at trick two, South would have triumphed by playing low: a second dissecting ducking play.