If he is good, you must be better

We have all heard the expression: "The best defense is a good offense." In a battle, perhaps; but at the bridge table, usually the best defense comes from counting high-card points - our subject this week.

To start, here is a deal that might look familiar. What should happen in four spades after West leads the heart king?

North's three-heart cue-bid showed spade support and at least game-invitational values, an overbid with a nine-loser hand. South's jump to game was also aggressive, but he thought he would benefit from the auction, which proved correct last week, but less so today!

In my previous column, South had the spade eight and East the six. Then, after two rounds of hearts and a diamond shift, South knew that West had the spade king. East had passed over his partner's opening bid and had already produced the heart ace, so he couldn't also have the spade king. South cashed his spade ace and dropped West's king to make his contract.

However, West should have adopted a different line of defense - what? If he believes that South will draw the right conclusion about the spade king (and perhaps even if he doesn't), West should cash the club ace at trick three, then lead the heart two. He hopes that East can and will ruff with the spade eight, which effects an uppercut and promotes a trump trick for the defense to defeat the contract.

Why cash the club ace first?

Just in case South has a singleton club and can make a loser-on-loser play when East ruffs with the spade eight.