ACES ON BRIDGE

“Self-respect without the respect of others is like a jewel which will not stand the daylight.”

— Alfred Nobel

Irina Levitina was North when this deal came up in a U.S. Nationals in Las Vegas. She and Gail Greenberg

were playing against Larry Cohen and David Berkowitz. North chose honesty rather than subtlety at her second turn when she cue-bid in diamonds.

But over five diamonds, should North-south gamble that there would be no heart ruff and bid five spades? North can be fairly sure that her side is missing the top hearts. Of course, as the cards lie, there is indeed a huge hole in the heart suit — but the blockage in that suit means 11 tricks in spades will be easy.

If the opponents’ hearts were 4-2, five spades could easily be defeated.

So far, so good, but look what happens when West does find the sixlevel sacrifice. Might South gamble out a bid of six spades? If she does, look what happens on the lead of the heart king! Would East overtake and give his partner the ruff, or would he play his partner for a doubleton?

When Berkowitz doubled the slam to persuade his partner to lead a heart, Cohen duly led the heart king. He had already denied holding as many as three hearts in the auction.

East now had a tough problem, but he decided to play his partner for a singleton. So he overtook and gave his partner the ruff to defeat the slam.

As he did so, he remarked that Larry was such a great player that he might have led low if he held king-small. Larry retorted, “Don’t ever play me to be such an expert again!”

ANSWER: Open three no-trump. Assuming you play this as gambling (a solid minor with little else), the hand qualifies nicely. The presence or absence of the diamond jack shouldn’t matter much, and although possession of the heart king is not ideal, you can’t wait forever for the perfect hand to wield this pre-emptive weapon.