ACES ON BRIDGE

“I wasn’t lurking. I was standing about. It’s a whole different vibe.”

— Steven S. DeKnight

At the Spring Nationals in Kansas City, Missouri, last year, from where all this week’s deals come, Spike Lay produced an elegant play on this deal from the first final session of the Lebhar IMP Pairs, playing with Robert Dennard. After North-South had sacrificed over their opponents’ game, they discovered it was the best kind of sacrifice, a making one.

(Incidentally, you can certainly understand North looking for a sacrifice here; he knew his side must have a decent fit in one of the minors, and the fact that his partner had not doubled four hearts might have suggested that that contract would come close to making.)

Against five clubs doubled, West led the spade king and shifted to the club three, won by dummy’s jack. Now came a diamond to the jack. Declarer cashed the club ace-king and the diamond ace, then played a diamond to the king and ruffed a diamond, leaving a five-card ending where he had four hearts and a trump in his hand, queen-third of spades, a winning diamond and a trump in dummy. Needing four of the last five tricks, Lay led out the heart queen. West was obliged to cover, and declarer pitched a spade from dummy.

Now West was left on lead and endplayed. Whether he led a spade or heart, he would have to give declarer the rest of the tricks. Most of the field had played four hearts, down one or two tricks, occasionally doubled, so making plus 550 was a very healthy result for NorthSouth.

ANSWER:

The question is whether to pass and leave well enough alone, or raise to three clubs. I think passing is right since you are not especially worried about the opponents competing, plus your soft honors in spades and diamonds are not ideal for play in clubs. I’d consider raising if partner had responded two diamonds, not two clubs — or if the spade queen were the ace.