Willa Cather, an author who achieved recognition for her novels of frontier life and won a Pulitzer Prize for a story set in World War I, said, “No one can build his security upon the nobleness of another person.”

This week, though, we have seen that at the bridge table, declarer can sometimes secure his contract with the noble assistance of an opponent.

In this example, South is in four spades. West leads the club queen. How should South play?

Some players with the North hand would respond four spades, bidding to the 10-trick level with a 10-card fit. But that does not necessarily apply in an uncontested auction. Here, with a balanced hand, North should rein in a notch or two. Advocates of the Losing Trick Count would respond with a game-invitational three spades, but it is a close decision. When North settles for two spades, South shoots for game. Opposite three spades, South might dabble his toe in the slam water with a four-heart controlbid (cue-bid), which, here, North would reject.

South has one club loser, so must restrict his diamond losers to two.

Declarer should win the first trick with dummy’s club ace, draw trumps, cash his heart winners, and cast adrift with a club. Whoever wins this trick must either open up diamonds or concede a ruff-and-sluff. In each case, South loses only two diamond tricks and makes his contract.

Finally, if South must play on diamonds himself, he should start with dummy’s jack, hoping that East fails to cover an honor with an honor (or has the ace and king).