{"id":21759,"date":"2026-06-22T00:01:43","date_gmt":"2026-06-21T23:01:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bridge.com\/?post_type=publication&#038;p=21759"},"modified":"2026-06-22T06:00:57","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T05:00:57","slug":"never-say-die","status":"publish","type":"publication","link":"https:\/\/bridge.com\/en\/publication\/never-say-die\/","title":{"rendered":"Never Say Die"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-columns stk-block-columns stk-block stk-e09935c\" data-block-id=\"e09935c\"><style>.stk-e09935c {margin-bottom:60px !important;}.stk-e09935c-column{--stk-columns-spacing:0px !important;--stk-column-gap:60px !important;row-gap:32px !important;}<\/style><div class=\"stk-row stk-inner-blocks stk-block-content stk-content-align stk-e09935c-column\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-column stk-block-column stk-column stk-block stk-845e92f\" data-v=\"4\" data-block-id=\"845e92f\"><style>@media screen and (min-width: 768px){.stk-845e92f {flex:var(--stk-flex-grow, 1) 1 calc(60% - var(--stk-column-gap, 0px) * 1 \/ 2 ) !important;}}<\/style><div class=\"stk-column-wrapper stk-block-column__content stk-container stk-845e92f-container stk--no-background stk--no-padding\"><div class=\"stk-block-content stk-inner-blocks stk-845e92f-inner-blocks\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-columns stk-block-columns stk-block stk-ac09c2e\" data-block-id=\"ac09c2e\"><style>.stk-ac09c2e {margin-bottom:40px !important;}<\/style><div class=\"stk-row stk-inner-blocks stk-block-content stk-content-align stk-ac09c2e-column\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-column stk-block-column stk-column stk-block stk-6be6af6 stk-entrance\" data-v=\"4\" data-block-id=\"6be6af6\"><style>.stk-6be6af6-container{background-color:var(--stk-global-color-85642, #e1edfa) !important;border-top-left-radius:20px !important;border-top-right-radius:20px !important;border-bottom-right-radius:20px !important;border-bottom-left-radius:20px !important;overflow:hidden !important;box-shadow:0 5px 5px 0 #123f5209 !important;padding-top:48px !important;}.stk-6be6af6-container:before{background-color:var(--stk-global-color-85642, #e1edfa) !important;}.stk-6be6af6 {overflow:visible !important;--entrance-transform:translateX(-32px) !important;--entrance-duration:0.75s !important;}.stk-6be6af6 .stk-container{overflow:visible !important;}<\/style><div class=\"stk-column-wrapper stk-block-column__content stk-container stk-6be6af6-container stk-hover-parent\"><div class=\"stk-block-content stk-inner-blocks stk-6be6af6-inner-blocks\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-text stk-block-text stk-block stk-24c4feb stk-entrance\" data-block-id=\"24c4feb\"><style>.stk-24c4feb {margin-bottom:6px !important;--entrance-transform:translateY(-16px) !important;--entrance-delay:0.25s !important;--entrance-duration:0.75s !important;}.stk-24c4feb .stk-block-text__text{color:var(--stk-global-color-51802, #00024e) !important;}<\/style><p class=\"stk-block-text__text has-text-color\">Courtesy of BarbaraSeagram.com<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-columns stk-block-columns stk-block stk-bb0615c\" data-block-id=\"bb0615c\"><style>.stk-bb0615c {overflow:visible !important;}.stk-bb0615c .stk-container{overflow:visible !important;}<\/style><div class=\"stk-row stk-inner-blocks stk-block-content stk-content-align stk-bb0615c-column\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-column stk-block-column stk-column stk-block stk-67ccbae\" data-v=\"4\" data-block-id=\"67ccbae\"><div class=\"stk-column-wrapper stk-block-column__content stk-container stk-67ccbae-container stk--no-background stk--no-padding\"><div class=\"stk-block-content stk-inner-blocks stk-67ccbae-inner-blocks\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-text stk-block-text stk-block stk-cdd78bb\" data-block-id=\"cdd78bb\"><p class=\"stk-block-text__text\">So often, we are just sitting there, hoping and waiting to be declarer. We get restless and lose focus when we become the defenders, instead of thinking of how we can beat the declarer.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Opening lead: <span style=\"color: var(--stk-global-color-14338, #ef4d3e);\" class=\"stk-highlight\"><span class=\"card-suit suit-diamonds notranslate\"><span class=\"card-suit suit-diamonds notranslate\"><span class=\"card-suit suit-diamonds notranslate\"><span class=\"card-suit suit-diamonds notranslate\"><span class=\"card-suit suit-diamonds notranslate\">\u2666<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>K<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">West leads the <span style=\"color: var(--stk-global-color-14338, #ef4d3e);\" class=\"stk-highlight\"><span class=\"card-suit suit-diamonds notranslate\"><span class=\"card-suit suit-diamonds notranslate\"><span class=\"card-suit suit-diamonds notranslate\"><span class=\"card-suit suit-diamonds notranslate\"><span class=\"card-suit suit-diamonds notranslate\">\u2666<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>K, East encourages and West continues with <span style=\"color: var(--stk-global-color-14338, #ef4d3e);\" class=\"stk-highlight\"><span class=\"card-suit suit-diamonds notranslate\"><span class=\"card-suit suit-diamonds notranslate\"><span class=\"card-suit suit-diamonds notranslate\"><span class=\"card-suit suit-diamonds notranslate\"><span class=\"card-suit suit-diamonds notranslate\">\u2666<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Q. One more diamond to East\u2019s ace. What should East do now? Can West have the <span class=\"card-suit suit-clubs notranslate\"><span class=\"card-suit suit-clubs notranslate\"><span class=\"card-suit suit-clubs notranslate\"><span class=\"card-suit suit-clubs notranslate\"><span class=\"card-suit suit-clubs notranslate\">\u2663<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>A? If he did, he should have cashed it before leading his third diamond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When it looks as though there are no more legitimate tricks to be taken for your side, look for some illegitimate ones, especially when trumps in dummy are crummy. East should now lead his thirteenth diamond. If South discards something, West trumps with the <span class=\"card-suit suit-spades notranslate\"><span class=\"card-suit suit-spades notranslate\"><span class=\"card-suit suit-spades notranslate\"><span class=\"card-suit suit-spades notranslate\"><span class=\"card-suit suit-spades notranslate\">\u2660<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>10. If South ruffs high with ace, king or queen, then East\u2019s <span class=\"card-suit suit-spades notranslate\"><span class=\"card-suit suit-spades notranslate\"><span class=\"card-suit suit-spades notranslate\"><span class=\"card-suit suit-spades notranslate\"><span class=\"card-suit suit-spades notranslate\">\u2660<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>J is promoted into a trick for down one. If East had not thought this all through carefully and had returned a club at Trick 4, declarer would now be able to draw trumps and claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-column stk-block-column stk-column stk-block stk-b4e30e4\" data-v=\"4\" data-block-id=\"b4e30e4\"><style>.stk-b4e30e4-inner-blocks{justify-content:flex-start !important;}@media screen and (min-width: 768px){.stk-b4e30e4 {flex:var(--stk-flex-grow, 1) 1 calc(40% - var(--stk-column-gap, 0px) * 1 \/ 2 ) !important;}}<\/style><div class=\"stk-column-wrapper stk-block-column__content stk-container stk-b4e30e4-container stk--no-background stk--no-padding\"><div class=\"stk--column-flex stk-block-content stk-inner-blocks stk-b4e30e4-inner-blocks\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-columns stk-block-columns stk-block stk-93b64e4\" data-block-id=\"93b64e4\"><style>.stk-93b64e4 {top:120px !important;position:sticky !important;}<\/style><div class=\"stk-row stk-inner-blocks stk-block-content stk-content-align stk-93b64e4-column\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-column stk-block-column stk-column stk-block stk-d0b0e35\" data-v=\"4\" data-block-id=\"d0b0e35\"><style>@media screen and (min-width: 768px){.stk-d0b0e35 {flex:var(--stk-flex-grow, 1) 1 calc(100% - var(--stk-column-gap, 0px) * 0 \/ 1 ) !important;}}@media screen and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px){.stk-d0b0e35 {flex:var(--stk-flex-grow, 1) 1 calc(100% - var(--stk-column-gap, 0px) * 0 \/ 1 ) !important;}}<\/style><div class=\"stk-column-wrapper stk-block-column__content stk-container stk-d0b0e35-container stk--no-background stk--no-padding\"><div class=\"stk-block-content stk-inner-blocks stk-d0b0e35-inner-blocks\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-columns stk-block-columns stk-block stk-df18bdc\" data-block-id=\"df18bdc\"><div class=\"stk-row stk-inner-blocks stk-block-content stk-content-align stk-df18bdc-column\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-column stk-block-column stk-column stk-block stk-ab4dfac\" data-v=\"4\" data-block-id=\"ab4dfac\"><div class=\"stk-column-wrapper stk-block-column__content stk-container stk-ab4dfac-container stk--no-background stk--no-padding\"><div class=\"stk-block-content stk-inner-blocks stk-ab4dfac-inner-blocks\"><div class=\"bdm-deal-wrapper bdm-is-pinnable\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"bdm-pin-btn\" title=\"Unpin the deal\" data-pin-text=\"Pin\" data-pin-title=\"Pin the deal\" data-unpin-title=\"Unpin the deal\" data-close-title=\"Close\"><i class=\"fa-solid fa-thumbtack\"><\/i> <span class=\"bdm-pin-label\">Pin<\/span><\/button><div class=\"bdm-deal-wrapper deal deal-format-schema target-capture small-format\" id=\"bdm-deal-21760-6a39e4fa599b0\"><div class=\"deal-content\"><div class=\"deal-grid all-visible\"><div class=\"row\"><div class=\"cell null\"><\/div><div class=\"cell player n\"><div class=\"player-hand\"><div class=\"suit-row spades\"><span class=\"suit-symbol\">\u2660<\/span><span class=\"suit-cards\">7543<\/span><\/div><div class=\"suit-row hearts\"><span class=\"suit-symbol\">\u2665<\/span><span class=\"suit-cards\">AQ102<\/span><\/div><div class=\"suit-row diamonds\"><span class=\"suit-symbol\">\u2666<\/span><span class=\"suit-cards\">854<\/span><\/div><div class=\"suit-row clubs\"><span class=\"suit-symbol\">\u2663<\/span><span class=\"suit-cards\">KQ<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"cell null\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"row\"><div class=\"cell player w\"><div class=\"player-hand\"><div class=\"suit-row spades\"><span class=\"suit-symbol\">\u2660<\/span><span class=\"suit-cards\">10<\/span><\/div><div class=\"suit-row hearts\"><span class=\"suit-symbol\">\u2665<\/span><span class=\"suit-cards\">K9854<\/span><\/div><div class=\"suit-row diamonds\"><span class=\"suit-symbol\">\u2666<\/span><span class=\"suit-cards\">KQ2<\/span><\/div><div class=\"suit-row clubs\"><span class=\"suit-symbol\">\u2663<\/span><span class=\"suit-cards\">6543<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"cell center-compass\"><div class=\"compass-content\">\n                            <div class=\"compass-n\">N<\/div>\n                            <div class=\"compass-w\">W<\/div>\n                            <div class=\"compass-e\">E<\/div>\n                            <div class=\"compass-s\">S<\/div>\n                          <\/div><\/div><div class=\"cell player e\"><div class=\"player-hand\"><div class=\"suit-row spades\"><span class=\"suit-symbol\">\u2660<\/span><span class=\"suit-cards\">J98<\/span><\/div><div class=\"suit-row hearts\"><span class=\"suit-symbol\">\u2665<\/span><span class=\"suit-cards\">763<\/span><\/div><div class=\"suit-row diamonds\"><span class=\"suit-symbol\">\u2666<\/span><span class=\"suit-cards\">A1073<\/span><\/div><div class=\"suit-row clubs\"><span class=\"suit-symbol\">\u2663<\/span><span class=\"suit-cards\">872<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"row\"><div class=\"cell null\"><\/div><div class=\"cell player s\"><div class=\"player-hand\"><div class=\"suit-row spades\"><span class=\"suit-symbol\">\u2660<\/span><span class=\"suit-cards\">AKQ62<\/span><\/div><div class=\"suit-row hearts\"><span class=\"suit-symbol\">\u2665<\/span><span class=\"suit-cards\">J<\/span><\/div><div class=\"suit-row diamonds\"><span class=\"suit-symbol\">\u2666<\/span><span class=\"suit-cards\">J96<\/span><\/div><div class=\"suit-row clubs\"><span class=\"suit-symbol\">\u2663<\/span><span class=\"suit-cards\">AJ109<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"cell null\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"bdm-deal-context-box\"><div class=\"bdm-context-grid\"><div class=\"bdm-context-item\"><strong>Dealer:<\/strong> <span>South<\/span><\/div><div class=\"bdm-context-item\"><strong>Lead:<\/strong> <span class=\"bdm-lead-card\"><span class=\"bdm-card-static\">\n            <span class=\"bdm-card-suit suit-d\">\u2666<\/span>\n            <span class=\"bdm-card-rank\">K<\/span>\n        <\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t<div class=\"auction-table\">\n\t\t<div class=\"auction-header\">\n                            <div class=\"auction-cell header\">W<\/div>\n                            <div class=\"auction-cell header\">N<\/div>\n                            <div class=\"auction-cell header\">E<\/div>\n                            <div class=\"auction-cell header\">S<\/div>\n            \t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"auction-row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"auction-cell\"><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"auction-cell\"><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"auction-cell\"><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"auction-cell\"><span class=\"bid-contract\">1<span class=\"suit-s\">\u2660<\/span><\/span><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"auction-row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"auction-cell\"><span class=\"bid-pass\">Pass<\/span><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"auction-cell\"><span class=\"bid-contract\">3<span class=\"suit-s\">\u2660<\/span><\/span><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"auction-cell\"><span class=\"bid-pass\">Pass<\/span><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"auction-cell\"><span class=\"bid-contract\">4<span class=\"suit-s\">\u2660<\/span><\/span><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"auction-row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"auction-cell\"><span class=\"bid-pass\">Pass<\/span><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"auction-cell\"><span class=\"bid-pass\">Pass<\/span><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"auction-cell\"><span class=\"bid-pass\">Pass<\/span><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"auction-cell\"><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Courtesy of BarbaraSeagram.com So often, we are just sitting there, hoping and waiting to be declarer. We get restless and lose focus when we become&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"both","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":301,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_seopress_news_disabled":"","_seopress_video_disabled":"","_seopress_video":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas_manual":[],"_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable_all":"","_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas":[]},"categories":[],"tags":[],"language":[],"level":[],"class_list":["post-21759","publication","type-publication","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"publication_lang":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bridge.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication\/21759","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bridge.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bridge.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/publication"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridge.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridge.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21759"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bridge.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21759"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridge.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21759"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridge.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21759"},{"taxonomy":"language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridge.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/language?post=21759"},{"taxonomy":"level","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridge.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/level?post=21759"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}