Aces on bridge

“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”

— Helen Keller

Over North’s quantitative sequence, South might accept the slam try by bidding six clubs (a 5-3 fit could easily be best here). However, when he bids six no-trump, he finds himself in an excellent spot; now all he has to do is make it.

After the lead of the spade jack, declarer counts two spades, three hearts and three diamond tricks, which adds up to eight tricks. The key to the deal therefore is that the he needs to take four club tricks, not five; declarer can afford to give up a trick in clubs as insurance to bring home his contract.

This is sometimes referred to as a safety play, though that is not the term I use for it. I see this as something closer to a gambit, where a trick is potentially invested for the greater good of the contract.

In positions like this, if South had weaker club spots, the best play might be to cash the club ace. Here, though, declarer starts by leading a low club to the queen. If it loses, cash the club ace and finesse against East if West should show out. This play loses only to a singleton king in East.

However, when the queen holds, do not cash the ace; that fails whenever West has K-10-fourth. Instead, come back to hand with the diamond ace and lead the club nine next, intending to run it if West follows with the six. Of course, if West discards on the second club, you rise with the ace, then finesse against East’s K-10. ANSWER:

With a choice of majors, it seems logical to lead your better suit, since you need less from your partner this way. It is not as if the spade lead is exactly safe either. The other attraction of the heart lead is that your partner is slightly more likely to have hearts and not overcall than he is to have spades.