THE ACES ON BRIDGE

“To control aggression without inflicting injury is the Art of Peace.” -- Morihei Ueshiba .....................

These days your opponents will bid so many thin games that you need to defeat them whenever possible, or you will be at a severe disadvantage.

In the finals of the 2008 world championships between England and China (England sat North-South), West opened a multicolored two diamonds, showing a weak two-bid in either major, or various strong options. North passed and East preempted further, bidding three hearts. Three hearts was passed out and went three down, for 150 to England.

When England was EastWest, the Chinese North doubled the two-diamond opening (showing a balanced 13-16), causing South to jump to three no-trump. If the Chinese made this, they would gain 10 IMPs; if they went down, England would gain at least six IMPs.

Against three no-trump, West, Heather Dhondy, led a heart won by dummy’s king. Declarer now played a club to her queen. Had West won this, the defenders could have cleared the hearts, but then declarer would have finessed a club safely into the East hand and guessed the diamond queen for her contract. West would do better to shift to spades, but declarer might still have come home.

However, Dhondy smoothly ducked the club queen, causing declarer to place the ace with East. So she next ran the club 10. East won the jack, cleared the hearts, and, in due course, West won her club ace and cashed three hearts to beat the game by two.

AnswEr: I could just about understand it if you passed this hand in first seat, since the heart king is not really pulling its full weight. But if you open the bidding, as I would, I much prefer opening one club, not one diamond. My plan would be to raise a one-spade response and bid one no-trump over a oneheart response (a singleton honor equating to two small trumps in support of partner if he insists on hearts).