ACES ON BRIDGE

“There is nothing in human affairs that is a true subject for ridicule. Beneath comedy lies the ferment of tragedy; the farcical is but a cloak for coming catastrophe.” — Gabriel Chevallier

In this deal from the qualifying rounds of the World Junior Championships in Italy last summer, only one East-West pair hit the jackpot of six spades. Adam and Zach Grossack managed that feat, against which South led a trump. Declarer should win the ace and lead a club to the 10, which leads to a painless 12 tricks unless South has a singleton club queen.

In the match between Poland and Norway, the Polish pair missed slam. However, the other room saw considerably more action on the auction shown. Yes, maybe South could have maneuvered to the best red-suit fit via a call of four no-trump (planning to correct five clubs to five diamonds. Still, five hearts doubled did not look as if it was going to be expensive.

At the table, West led the ace and another spade. Now maybe Tor Eivind Grude as East should have shifted to clubs. As it was, he led a third spade, and declarer seized his chance to pitch a club from hand and ruff in dummy. There followed a heart to the queen, but what next?

The cautious line would be to start diamonds — if East ruffs in, it will be with trump tricks, won’t it? But Maksymilian Chodacki threw caution to the wind and played a second trump.

Disaster! Grude drew two rounds of trumps and ran spades, letting declarer score his low heart, but no more tricks. That was down eight in a freely bid contract — a cool 2,000 and 17 IMPs to Norway.

ANSWER: This hand is not worth forcing to game with a two-diamond response (though, if you could bid two diamonds then three diamonds, non-forcing, you should do that). Similarly, if a jump to three diamonds is invitational, you might consider that. But failing that, a call of one no-trump should keep your options sensibly open — especially if you play it as forcing.