ACES ON BRIDGE

“If he were

To be made honest by an act of parliament

I should not alter in my faith of him.”

— Ben Jonson

In today's par deal, after North rebids one no-trump,

South unsubtly asks for key-cards after finding the spade fit. South makes a grand-slam try, whereupon North admits to holding the heart king, so South leaps to seven spades.

When West leads a trump, declarer can see a potential fourthround club loser. He might draw two rounds of trumps and then cash the top clubs. If the hand with short clubs had no more trumps, declarer might take a ruff in dummy, or he could draw trumps, test clubs and then fall back on the diamond finesse.

He could also try to ruff down the diamond king and then make his best guess in clubs based on what he has seen to date.

Better yet, if declarer can ruff three diamonds in his hand, he will not need to do anything with the fourth club. That line needs trumps to split 3-2 and four entries to dummy: three for ruffs and another to get back in and draw trumps. South will have to be careful with the timing, though!

After winning the lead in hand, declarer crosses to the diamond ace and ruffs a diamond high. Next comes a trump to dummy, testing the split there. When everyone follows, declarer ruffs another diamond and then uses dummy's heart entries to take a further diamond ruff and to get back to draw the last trump. Bravo!

Had someone shown out on the second trump, declarer would have reverted to drawing trumps. Then he would run his winners, playing for a minor-suit squeeze or to sniff out the club position in the ending.

ANSWER: Do not get cute. This hand will likely make a game opposite four small spades and nothing. As one spade could end the auction, you should open two clubs. You plan to rebid spades and hope to get clubs in next. Anytime you can make game facing one trick (or real support in a very weak hand), consider opening two clubs.