ACES ON BRIDGE

“Most people sell their souls and live with a good conscience on the proceeds.”

— Logan Pearsall Smith

At the ACBL junior training camp in Frostburg, Maryland, East opened an off-shape strong no-trump to avoid potential rebid problems after a one-heart opening and one-no-trump response. When South overcalled two spades to show spades and a minor, West should have doubled for takeout but chose to go quietly instead, ending the auction.

Former junior international Tom Carmichael found a way home as South in two spades. The defense started with four rounds of clubs, the last ruffed in dummy. Meanwhile, East discarded one heart and the diamond jack. East was marked with the spade king on the bidding and surely would have overruffed from a short holding, so declarer assumed that player held four trumps. West would have found a way to bid hearts with five of them in a 1=5=3=4 hand, so it looked as though East had five hearts.

Now able to play East for a 4=5=2=2 shape, Carmichael ran the spade nine, then cashed the diamond ace, finessed spades again and led a heart to the jack. The Dentist's Coup had extracted all of East's safe exits, so he could only exit with his remaining top heart. Carmichael ruffed, then played the spade ace and another spade to East, who now had to lead a low heart around to dummy. That let South pitch his diamond loser on dummy's heart queen.

Of course, East could have beaten the hand simply enough by overruffing dummy on the fourth club, then exiting in a pointed suit. However, players make mistakes, and it is crucial that their opponents take advantage.

ANSWER: Start with Stayman, intending to jump to three of a major if partner bids two diamonds (using the Smolen convention, a call of three spades would show

4-5 shape). If partner does show a major, bid three of the other major, artificially, to agree partner's suit and set the scene for slam investigation. Sensible methods here are discussed at bit.ly/3iq0kxd.