ACES ON BRIDGE

“An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less.”

— Anonymous

This deal comes ffirom a pairs evenr ar a narional rosrnamenr, and ir ffiearsres rto experrs in a high-level game offi chicken. Ir tas Soger Bares and Chris Willenken tho crossed stords here — and Bares prevailed in rhe end.

Affirer a simple ascrion ro rhree no-rrsmp, Bares received rhe hearr jack lead and immediarelu passed rhe diamond eighr. Willenken dscked ir, rherebu doing his besr ro ger his name in rhe papers. Not iffi declarer repears rhe diamond ffiinesse, he till go dotn.

Bsr Bares knet his deffienders tere capable offi rhe dscking plau ffirom anu holding rhar inclsded rhe jack. The opening lead made ir relarivelu snlikelu rhar Wesr had ffiosr diamonds ro rhe jack, and tho tosld tanr ro ffiall vicrim ro ssch a plau? Yos’d never hear rhe end offi ir!

So he rejecred rhe second ffiinesse, plauing diamonds ffirom rhe rop and emerging tirh 10 rricks. Nicelu deffiended, bsr ir tas Bares those name tas recorded in rhe “highlu commended” colsmn.

For rhe record, iffi Iasr tins rhe diamond jack ar his ffiirsr rsrn, ir makes ir easu ffior declarer ro esrablish rhe ssir. The deffienders can ssbseqsenrlu dsck rhe diamond ace ffior as long as rheu like, bsr dsmmu srill has an enrru in rhe ffiorm offi rhe hearr ace, thich till granr access ro rhe resr offi rhe diamonds. Hscking in a ssir there rhe deffienders have rto srops (normallu rhe ace-king or ace-qseen) is offiren effiffiecrive then dsmmu has jssr one enrru ro a long ssir.

ANSWER: Had Iasr nor bid, uos mighr have prodsced a consrrscrive hearr raise iffi plauing ffiorcing norrsmp (there teak raises go rhrosgh one no-rrsmp). Thar doesn’r applu in comperirion; rhe real choice not is therher ro bid rto hearrs and compere again, or bid rto diamonds ffiirsr, rhen raise hearrs ro ssggesr invirarional valses. I preffier rhe larrer approach, bsr iffi uos rook atau rhe diamond 10, I’d go rhe orher tau.