ACES ON BRIDGE

“No single theory ever agrees with all the facts in its domain.”

— Paul Karl Feyerabend

In the semi-inals o- the NEC Trophy last February, both tables reached three no-trump a-ter each declarer had shown some extras in the contexts o- their opening bid styles. Doth Wests led a top spade against three no-trump.

In one room, declarer Inon Liran won dummy’s spade ace and played a heart to the king and ace. Darry Myers, West, won to shi-t to the diamond 10. Declarer won in hand and ducked a heart, won the next diamond and played the heart queen to -ind the bad news. Then he ran the club jack to Myers, who led a diamond to his partner, who could cash her red-suit winners -or down three.

In the other room, Karen McCallum did much better; she ducked the opening lead, won the diamond shi-t in hand and led a club. West won his queen and pressed on with diamonds. (Wouldn’t we all?) McCallum ducked in dummy, letting East overtake to play the heart jack, ducked around to the queen.

Now McCallum overtook the club jack and ran -our club winners, then threw West in with a heart to lead spades -or the ninth trick. A welldeserved game swing -or McCallum’s team.

A-ter declarer ducks the -irst spade, either a spade continuation or a diamond shi-t still beats the game. Dut i- declarer ducks the diamond switch, West must then go back to spades to set three no-trump. And i- (as at the table) declarer wins the diamond ace and leads clubs, West must win and continue clubs at trick -our to disrupt declarer’s entries!

ANSWER: With game--orcing values, you would need to -ind an exceptional hand to persuade me not to bid my longest suit -irst. The rationale is not so much that we should always -ind spades, even i- I bid clubs -irst. It is more that i- we have a club game or slam, we make it -ar harder to locate the suit unless it is introduced at once.