Joni Mitchell, a Canadian singer-songwriter, was given her inspiration by classical music. She said, “Rachmaninoff made a musician out of me. His ‘Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini’ was the piece that sent me into raptures.”

Bridge has themes, although they rarely send players into raptures! Today, we have a deal featuring a theme covered a couple of times recently – but which one?

South is in four spades. West leads the heart ace: 10, two, five. What should happen next?

After South opened two no-trump, West was tempted to over-call three hearts, but the vulnerability was unfavorable and he hoped he might be able to defeat three no-trump from his own hand. However, when North used a transfer bid, South jumped to game – a super-accept – with four-card support and a doubleton somewhere.

West can see three defensive tricks: one spade and two hearts. Where is trick four?

West must count the high-card points. Dummy has six, and West holds 13, leaving only 21 for South and East. Clearly, East doesn’t have a winner. Somehow, East-West must take two trump tricks. When the defenders have taken every possible side-suit trick, give a ruff-and-sluff. It cannot cost and might gain.

Here, West should cash his heart king, then play a third heart. Declarer will probably ruff on the board and play a trump to his king. West takes that trick and leads a fourth heart. When East ruffs with his spade 10, it uppercuts South’s queen and promotes a trick for West’s jack.

If you can count only one thing, track the high-card points.