Watch Out the Card Played on the First Trick

When a defender makes an opening lead, and dummy cards are displayed, you have to take a careful action in managing the contract. Inspect the dummy carefully and think for some times before playing the first card from dummy. In the following deal, you can elimate the guess if you play carefully for the first trick. Below is the bidding:

South	West	North	East
1S	pass	2D	pass
2S	pass	3S	pass
4C	pass	4NT	pass
5S	pass	6S	all pass

West started with ♥7 and East suprises you with a ruff. Your contract is in danger when East return a club. Here are the complete distribution.

	Dummy
	♠A J
	♥A J 10 5
	♦A Q 10 4 2
	♣J 3
West		East
♠ 5		♠10 7 6 3
♥ K98753		♥ void
♦ J62		♦ K9843
♣ K75		♣ Q984
	Selatan
	♠ KQ9842
	♥Q 4 2
	♦ void
	♣ A1062

Several declarers will play the Ace on club return and play a spade to Jack followed by a small diamond ruff. Then play a second trump to dummy. When West discard his heart, declarer then assumes West is 1633. So he plays the ♦A and he has to assume that is West holding in the diamond, Jack or King. Declarer has to assume West hold an honour in diamond in order to fulfill the contract. As the cards lie, if he choose to play the ♦Q, pinning the Jack, he will succeed. He will fail otherwise. Did you notice that declarer can easily land the contract as long as he throw his ♥Q on the first trick. So, he may ruff a second diamond, draw trumps and use his heart entry to play the ♦A. When ♦J appears, he can finnese East King. So, be careful with your card play on the first trick. If declarer fail to unblock the ♥Q, West can refuse to cover the Queen. Then, declarer will be short of entry to play the diamond.