THE ACES ON BRIDGE

“Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, Or what’s a heaven for?” -- Robert Browning .....................

This week’s deals all come from last fall’s Bermuda Bowl in Veldhoven, Netherlands, won by the Dutch. On this deal from Australia’s qualifying match against USA-1 in the Bermuda Bowl, Sartaj Hans played skillfully to land a three-no-trump contract that failed at many tables.

For the U.S., Martin Fleisher led the spade four, ducked in dummy and taken by Mike Kamil with the king. On the spade return, Fleisher played low on declarer’s jack. Hans played a diamond to dummy’s ace, cashed the diamond king, then ran the club 10 to West’s jack. A low spade cleared the suit and put the lead in dummy.

This position was reached at many tables, but whereas many of the unsuccessful declarers took a second club finesse, letting West win and cash out his spades for down one, Hans instead played a club to his ace, realizing that he wanted to keep West off play, at least for the time being.

Next he cashed his two diamond winners. Fleisher could spare a heart on the third round of diamonds, but he had to let a spade go on declarer’s final diamond.

Now Hans exited with a club, leaving Fleisher on lead. That player could cash a spade, but then had to lead a heart, giving declarer his eighth and ninth tricks with a club and heart winner.

Had West discarded a heart instead on the fourth diamond, declarer would have led a heart himself and built an extra trick for his side in that suit.