ACES ON BRIDGE

“Tis with our judgments as our watches, none

Go just alike, yet each believes his own.”

— Alexander Pope

In a teams match, both Souths played three no-trump on a low heart lead. The heart queen forced the ace, and this is where the lines of play diverged.

One declarer counted his tricks and saw that he would scarcely be able to muster enough without the long clubs, perhaps using the heart jack as a reentry if necessary. So he ran the clubs and could spare a heart and three spades to start with, but what could he pitch on the sixth club? South decided to let go of another heart and then lead dummy's heart six. West, who had thrown two hearts and a diamond, took his heart king. Now he astutely got off play with the spade nine, establishing the defenders' fifth trick. Declarer would have done no better to leave the sixth club in dummy or to pitch a diamond from hand. Throwing all the hearts would be equally disastrous, for South would again be squeezed on the play of the heart king.

The second South foresaw the problems of running clubs. The defense could probably take three diamond tricks if he had to give up a club: Why would West lead from a four-card heart suit if he also held both top diamonds? Thus, allowing for a bad club split by leaving the heart jack as an entry to dummy would probably be ineffective. It seemed that clubs would have to behave, so South simply established his ninth trick in hearts. West took his king and tried to cash out by shifting to a diamond, but declarer's fourth-round stopper ensured him his game.

ANSWER: Pass. You have ample defense against one no-trump, as the clubs will likely run. Do not put your possible plus score at risk by bidding three clubs. If West transfers to spades, you can just as easily show your long suit on the next round. If he drives to the no-trump game, I recommend trying to take the sure plus instead of risking a double.