Albert Szent-Gyoergyi, a Hungarian-American physiologist who won a Nobel Prize in 1937, said, “Research is four things: brains with which to think, eyes with which to see, machines with which to measure and, fourth, money.”

That relates to bridge, where you use your eyes and brain all the time, machines help with scoring in duplicates, and money is sometimes involved, either as an entry fee or because you play for small stakes.

However, the word “four” is relevant to this deal. How should South plan the play in six diamonds after West leads the club jack?

North’s two-no-trump response showed a balanced hand with eight points or more. South’s four-club rebid was the ace-asking Gerber convention. He then settled into six diamonds, a tad worried that in six notrump a heart lead through his king-jack might give the defenders the first two tricks. (Here, the right line in six no-trump is the same as in six diamonds.)

The only danger is a 4-0 trump split. If West has all four, the contract is unmakable. But if East has them, he can be held to one trick with careful play. South should win the first trick in his hand and lead a high diamond.

Suppose East wins (it does not help to duck) and shifts to a spade. South takes the trick, plays a club to dummy’s king, and leads a diamond, capturing East’s nine with his jack. Back to the board with a heart, declarer leads another diamond through East to make his slam.

Always try to handle bad splits if you can.