ACES ON BRIDGE

“A Republic is a government in which [the attention of the nation] is divided between many, who are all doing uninteresting actions.”

— Walter Bagehot

Jean Besse of Switzerland, one of the world’s greatest analysts, described today’s deal as “interesting,” an indication of its difficulty and elegance.

East rightly exploited the vulnerability by preempting, despite his side four-card major. With so few values, he did not expect his side to win the auction, especially with the spade suit missing, and thus tried to maximize obstruction. South might have doubled three clubs, and North might have bid three no-trump in the protective position, but North’s actual choice of doubling made the auction easier. South cue-bid, then removed four diamonds to four spades, showing extras. That was all North needed to hear, and he drove the hand to slam.

Besse won the club lead in dummy, then led a spade to the ace and a spade to the nine. The diamond king-queen revealed the bad news — if declarer sought to ruff either a heart or a club, he would have a spade and a diamond to lose. What could he do about it?

Besse carefully led a club to the ace, on which West had to throw a heart.

The top hearts and a heart ruff in dummy, followed by the diamond ace, produced a wonderful three-card ending in which Besse led dummy’s club six and discarded his diamond, as did West. Declarer had the jack-eight of spades in hand and the spade ace and a diamond in dummy, with West holding the queen-seven of trumps.

East could now lead either a club or a heart, but his partner’s sure trump trick was going to be smothered to death.

ANSWER: Raise to the limit with four hearts. This will make it hard for the opponents to get together in spades. Your shape makes up for the missing trump. Bear in mind that this is a weak call. You have limited your hand by not making a Jacoby forcing raise. Incidentally, many play that a jump to three no-trump would be a hand like this, but with, say, the heart ace instead of the jack.