ACES ON BRIDGE

“Take note, take note, O world! To be direct and honest is not safe.”

— William Shakespeare

At the Spring Nationals in Kansas City, Missouri, last spring, Mel Colchamiro showed the bulletin this nice defense. It was found by longtime tournament director Mike Flader, who was playing with Barry Purrington.

On this deal from the second final session of the Baldwin North American Pairs, Flight A, Colchamiro was playing with Alex Ornstein. The South hand offers an insoluble problem when the opponents pre-empt. Colchamiro guessed to double, then bid what he thought he could make once his partner showed values.

There is certainly a reasonable case to be made for a trump lead against six clubs, but Flader dutifully led the heart jack. Colchamiro then inferred that if West had the spade ace, surely East would have the club queen. If West had both those cards, he would probably have led the spade ace. So Colchamiro decided to rely on the diamond break, or that the hand with short diamonds would have short clubs.

He won the heart ace, cashed the diamond ace-king, ruffed a heart and led the diamond queen, which was ruffed with the club queen and overruffed. Now Colchamiro took a second heart ruff, and in the sevencard ending he led the spade king from dummy, trying to force an entry back to his own hand. Had he been able to do so, he would have drawn trumps and claimed the rest.

However, Flader won his ace and led the diamond jack. Purrington ruffed his partner’s winner with the club nine, overruffed by declarer’s 10, and now Flader’s club seven was promoted to the setting trick!

ANSWER: Even though declarer rates to be relatively long in clubs, it still feels logical to lead that suit, since partner can hardly have a decent five-card major without having overcalled. Partner’s failure to act means that the best bet to set the game may be to find dummy with both majors, relatively short in clubs.