ACES ON BRIDGE

“To err is human, but to really foul things up you need a computer.”

— Anonymous

For anyone who hasn’t already wasted far too much of his or her life wondering why Deep Finesse (a program that analyzes bridge hands) never makes a mistake, some of its conclusions can initially be jaw-dropping. What do you think is par for North-South on this deal from the second qualifying session of last November’s Kaplan Blue Ribbon Pairs?

A quick check of losers suggests that it should be easy to score plus 110 in diamonds, clubs or a majorsuit part-score — or plus 400 in three no-trump.

Nothing, however, is ever as easy as it looks. Sure, there are nine tricks (five diamonds, three hearts and a spade or a club), but try taking them on the Garozzo play — an opening diamond lead to disrupt the communications. If you win the diamond ace and cash the hearts, the defenders will have a heart and four black-suit winners to cash.

If you win the diamond ace and play a club, planning to unblock the high clubs from dummy to create a low-club entry to hand, then West plays low, and East takes the club queen and can exit with anything but a spade. When declarer plays a second club, West wins and shifts to a spade. Declarer puts up the spade king, and East plays low. Now declarer is locked in dummy to lead a black card, and the defenders can cash out.

The same basic variations apply if declarer wins the diamond king at trick one to play a high club. West wins to play a spade, East plays low and declarer cannot unscramble his tricks.

ANSWER: I can see the argument for rebidding one no-trump rather than two clubs. The former call defines the range of your hand and avoids introducing an honorless suit; but in my opinion, 5-4-2-2 hands play better in a suit contract whenever you can find a fit. So I would bid two clubs, even though I sympathize with the other position.