Henrik Lundqvist, a Swedish ice hockey goalie for the New York Rangers, said, “Good tailoring trumps designer and price any day.”

Good declarer-play and defense require accurate tailoring of trumps, making the most of their power and trick-taking capability. Trumps serve many purposes: removing those held by the opponents, helping to establish a side suit, killing the opponents’ winners, and so on.

In this deal, West leads the club king against four hearts. What should happen?

Since West did not have a weak two-bid available in clubs, he traded on the favorable vulnerability to open three clubs.

South must take these 10 tricks: one spade, four hearts, three diamonds and two clubs. So, declarer wins the first trick and leads the heart nine. Which four tricks should East have his eye on?

First, East should realize that South has the spade ace. But the defenders need to take two spades, one heart and one club. (If West has seven clubs, presumably the contract is cast-iron.) Should East shift to the spade king at trick three? Assuming South wins that trick, when West gets in with his club queen, he can push a spade through dummy’s jack. But suppose declarer ducks the spade. Then, when East returns his second club, West might get it into his mind to win and lead a spade, not another club.

It is much safer for East to lead a club at trick three. Here, West will take the trick and return a club so that East can ruff dummy’s jack. Then South has no chance.

Ruff away one of declarer’s winners when it does not cost a trump trick.