ACES ON BRIDGE

“Take chances, make mistakes. That’s how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You can’t be brave if you’ve only had wonderful things happen to you.” — Mary Tyler Moore

When South opens one no-trump, North should conclude that, despite his weak majors, the practical game is the nine-trick one. With a singleton major, he would feel very different.

After a low heart lead against three no-trump, South has five tricks from the majors. If East plays any heart but the king, South will have to win the trick, but when the king pops up, he can duck and win the next heart.

South needs four tricks from the minors; which suit should he go after first? Today, it would be fatal to go after clubs, since they can provide only three tricks. West would take the club ace and drive out South’s remaining heart honor, then would get in with the diamond ace to run the hearts.

The best chance is to lead a LOW diamond at trick three. This offers two chances. If East can win the ace, the suit may break three-three and provide four tricks all by itself.

The second chance is that West may have the diamond ace. If so, he must duck, or South can win four diamond tricks, even if the suit breaks 4-2. When West plays low, South has stolen a diamond trick and can then switch to clubs for his nine tricks.

Note that if declarer plays East for ace-fourth of diamonds and crosses to the spade ace at trick three to lead a diamond toward his hand, an inspired East might fly up with the ace from his hypothetical ace-fourth. He could then return a heart, leaving the diamonds blocked.

ANSWER: One possibility is to double, showing cards. Partner will tend only to remove with real extra shape, however. And if the opponents have 10 trumps between them, they will surely come close to making their game. My preference would be to bid four no-trump to offer partner a choice of minors.