ACES ON BRIDGE

“Golf is a good walk spoiled.” — Anonymous

Arnold Palmer, who died last year, was a keen bridge player. His go-for-broke style was applied not only on the golf course, but also in business. He similarly tended to go allout at the bridge table. Here, when Palmer’s partner jumped to four hearts, he used Blackwood, then went all the way to seven no-trump. In that contract, either a diamond or heart finesse would be necessary, but the heart finesse on its own would not suffice.

However, after the seven-notrump call, West had hitched, which helped Palmer decide to play him for the missing high cards. So rather than take the diamond finesse — in abstract, the best chance — Palmer played to squeeze West.

After a club lead, he took the club winners and the diamond ace, then ran the spades. On the last spade, West was toast. If he discarded a heart, Palmer would pitch the diamond from dummy and run the hearts with the aid of the finesse. If West discarded the diamond king, Palmer could let go a heart from dummy, cash the queen, and finesse in hearts.

One of my readers, Peter Peng, a golfer and bridge player who has returned to the game after a 20year layoff, had Palmer autograph the bridge book by my old boss Ira Corn, in which this play was first described. Corn, you will recall, was responsible for assembling the Aces bridge team. At the end of 2016, the St. Petersburg Bridge Club auctioned the book, with the proceeds going to a children’s home.

ANSWER: There is a lot to be said for rebidding your hearts, since the opponents are quite likely to raise spades immediately. Therefore, this might be your last chance to do so comfortably.

Unless your partner doubles the opponents in game, I would not intend to defend here. Instead, on my next turn, I will raise clubs if given the chance.