Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said, “Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward. They may be beaten, but they may start a winning game.”

Sometimes at the bridge table, if you want to have a winning game, you will have to make daring bids and plays.

The North-South spade suit, contract and opening lead are the same as the last two days, but there the similarities end. How should South try to make three notrump after West leads the spade five?

West opened with a weak two-bid, showing a decent six-card suit and some 5-10 points. Over North’s takeout double, South would have preferred a stronger spade holding for his three-notrump bid, but with such a flat hand, he did not expect that five of a minor would make.

South has eight top tricks: one spade (because of the lead), four hearts and three clubs. He must play on diamonds for the extra winner. But that means losing the lead twice, and the opponents are threatening to win too many tricks.

On the previous two days, it was right for declarer immediately to put up dummy’s spade queen. Then his follow-up play was determined by what happened at that trick.

Here, though, suppose South does that. If he wins the trick and plays a diamond, East takes the trick and returns his second spade. West runs the suit for down two. Or, if East takes the queen with the ace and leads back his second spade, West will surely have a high diamond as an entry card.

The secret is to play low from the dummy and low from hand too! South will succeed whenever the contract is makable.