ACES ON BRIDGE

“Large streams from little fountains flow; tall oaks from little acorns grow.”

— David Everett

In today’s deal from the match between Iceland and Denmark at the 2018 European Championships in Ostend, Belgium, the Danish West led a top heart against four spades. Declarer followed the normal line: He won the ace and took a losing diamond finesse. When East made the thoughtful return of a club to his partner’s 10, the contract was doomed. Declarer could not draw trumps and still ruff the required number of losers.

In the open room, West’s lead of his singleton diamond seven gave the declarer, Dennis Bilde, an outside chance. Dummy played the 10, and East won with the queen to return the diamond four (not his smallest diamond, which would have suggested a preference for clubs). When West ruffed, he duly exited with a trump, letting declarer draw the remaining trump. He cashed the diamond ace, throwing a club from hand, then ruffed a diamond to hand, squeezing West down to three clubs and four hearts.

Next, rather than simply playing for the club king to be onside, South cashed the heart ace and ruffed a heart in dummy, then ruffed another diamond in hand (West being forced to pitch a heart) and another heart in dummy. West, North and South were now all down to three clubs.

At this point, declarer ran the club nine from dummy. West could win with the club 10 but was forced to return a club into the split tenace. Bilde commented afterward that East’s return of the diamond four at trick two had persuaded him to play this line.

ANSWER: Double by you is for penalty here. With clubs or hearts, you would simply bid the suit; with a hand worth an invitation or better in hearts, you could start with an unequivocal cue-bid of two diamonds. Even if your right-hand opponent really has spades (sometimes he is psyching), a 4-4 spade fit might play just fine here for your side.