ACES ON BRIDGE

“Art is a collaboration between God and the artist, and the less the artist does, the better.”

— Andre Gide

The following deal from the first Politiken International World Pairs won Larry Cohen and David Berkowitz the Bridge Press award for best-defended hand. Both Peter Weichsel and Dennis Koch-palmund played five clubs on a spade lead. Weichsel ruffed the lead in his hand, cashed the club queen, then led the diamond nine. When West did not cover, declarer let it run to East's king. East returned the heart queen, but Weichsel won the ace, overtook the club seven with the king, pitched a diamond on the spade ace and took a ruffing diamond finesse, for 11 tricks.

At our other featured table, when David Berkowitz led the spade seven, Koch-palmund won with dummy's ace, discarding a diamond from hand. Next, he put some pressure on East by playing a low diamond from dummy!

Cohen wisely ducked, so Berkowitz won his 10 and led another spade. South ruffed high, crossed to dummy with an intermediate trump, ruffed a diamond high, reentered dummy with the club five and ruffed another diamond high. Next, declarer cashed the heart ace, Cohen unblocking the queen.

When South produced a small heart, Berkowitz had to decide whether his partner had started with the doubleton queen-jack or if he had a small heart remaining.

Since the play thus far had implied East must hold the heart queen, Berkowitz decided that with the queen-jack doubleton, he would have followed with the jack first. So he put up the heart nine and could then cash the king for down one.

ANSWER: After East's artificial heart raise, the opponents are about to bid to at least four hearts. If you decide you will be bidding on to four spades, then you should use this opportunity to bid four diamonds. If partner has a double fit, he will bid over four hearts. If not, you will have directed him to the best lead and given him the chance to double with club or heart tricks.