ACES ON BRIDGE

“Big Brother is watching you.” — George Orwell

In today’s deal from the Common Game, I assumed the role of innocent bystander, watching as a defender while declarer missed the best line for his contract.

I sat West, and when my partner opened two hearts in third seat, I heard a double to my right; I raised to three hearts to try to make a nuisance of myself. North doubled, denying spades, and South jumped to four spades to end a competently bid auction.

I led a low heart to the ace, won the next heart with the king and exited with the spade eight. Declarer won in hand, looking unhappy, then crossed to the spade 10, played the club ace and called for the club jack. I ruffed and exited with a spade, and now my side was sure to take the 13th trick, for down one.

Let’s look at declarer’s options here. He could not afford to draw trumps before playing on clubs, since the defenders were threatening to run hearts once his trumps ran out. But if declarer played the club king from hand, followed by another club, I could have ruffed and exited in trump for a safe down one.

The winning line was not too far from what declarer actually did. After winning the spade ace at trick three, he should cross to the spade 10 and run the club jack from dummy. If West wins the queen and gives a ruff-sluff, declarer can trump in dummy and cross to hand in diamonds to draw trumps. But if dummy’s club jack holds, declarer can draw trumps and play for the overtrick.

ANSWER: When deciding whether to invite game facing a strong no-trump, consider how much your bid will help the defense. Here, if you have to bid Stayman, you will surely give the opponents extra information about declarer’s hand pattern. So while I might think this hand just about worth an invitational sequence, I’d pass if compelled by system to bid Stayman as opposed to a call of two no-trump.