Aces On Bridge

“It would have made a dreadfully ugly child; but it makes rather a handsome pig, I think.” — Lewis Carroll

My favorite defense from last summer’s World Junior Championships in Salsomaggiore, Italy, occurred right at the end of the Youngsters final between Italy and the Netherlands.

Both tables bid in identical fashion to three spades, but in one room the Italian West led a top diamond from his sequence.

After seeing the dummy, he discerned the need for a trump shift, but it was already too late. Declarer could win in his hand and play another diamond. East overtook his partner’s jack to play a second trump, but declarer won in hand and could trump his losing diamond in dummy for a ninth trick and plus-140.

In the other room, Leen Stougie as West found the incisive trump lead to trick one, working on the sound principle of leading trumps when you believe your side has the lion’s share of high cards. Declarer won in hand with the nine and led a diamond. West made his second good play when he hopped up with the king to press on with trumps. Declarer won with his queen to play another diamond, but this time when West inserted the jack, it allowed East, Marc Stougie, to overtake with the queen to play a third trump. That disposed of the possibility of a diamond ruff in dummy.

Now declarer had to lose one heart, three diamonds and one club, to go one down.

That all added up to a 5-IMP gain for the Netherlands, but they still lost the gold medal to Italy.

ANSWER: How many of you looked at your 6-count and determined that, since you had a minimum and partner had not competed, you should pass now? If so, go to the back of the class. When you have extra shape (the fifth trump) and decent values, the hand is worth a two-heart call. Partner always delivers an opening bid and heart tolerance, so you must bid your hand to the fullest.