Michael Morpurgo, the author of “War Horse,” said, “Don’t worry about writing a book or getting famous or making money. Just lead an interesting life.”

At the bridge table, one tries to find successful opening leads, but it is impossible to do it on every deal. In this example from Steve Conrad of Manhasset, New York, West found the worst possible start. True, if declarer could see all 52 cards, West did not have a winning lead. But if he had selected a card from any suit but hearts, surely the contract would have failed.

How did South get home in six spades after West led the heart queen? What do you think of the bidding?

In the auction, North did a double-cross, giving his partner the choice of playing in three no-trump or at least five spades. North should have rebid four no-trump, which ought to be quantitative, not ace-asking. (To use Blackwood, North starts with a Texas transfer at the four-level, responding four hearts, then bids four notrump.) Here, though, South would probably have rebid five spades.

In the given auction, four no-trump was Roman Key Card Blackwood, South’s reply indicating two aces and the spade queen.

South realized that he needed to take these 12 tricks: five spades, three hearts, two diamonds, one club, and a diamond ruff in the short-trump hand. He won the first trick, cashed his spade queen, played off dummy’s top diamonds, ruffed the diamond six high in his hand, drew trumps, ran the heart nine to West’s jack, and claimed.