ACES ON BRIDGE

“Man in portions can foresee His own funeral destiny.” — Lord Byron

At his second turn, North correctly judged his hand to be worth a double raise of spades. After some cue-bids and the application of Roman Keycard Blackwood, South invited a grand slam with five no-trump, but when North could not do more than respond at the six-level, South ended in six spades.

West led his club singleton. Declarer saw that there would be 12 easy tricks if trumps were 3-2: He could draw trumps, concede a club to East and then take a ruff in a red suit for his 12th trick (he would make nine tricks in the black suits and the three additional red-suit winners).

So, declarer turned his mind to what could be done if West had four trumps. After realizing that it would be best to ruff a heart in hand if that were so, declarer began by carefully calling for the club eight from dummy at trick one.

After winning the club ace and drawing two rounds of trumps with the ace and jack, discovering that West did indeed have four trumps, declarer cashed the heart king and ace before leading a low club toward dummy. West discarded a diamond; declarer won with the club king and continued with the club nine to East’s queen. East exited with the heart jack, but declarer could ruff this with the trump queen.

Next, he led a low trump and covered West’s eight with dummy’s nine. After drawing West’s last trump, declarer led dummy’s carefully preserved club six to his seven to cash the club five. The diamond ace was declarer’s 12th trick.

ANSWER: This is a common problem. If we respond in our weak spade suit and partner rebids two clubs, we will not be able to get our diamonds into the game. (Two diamonds would then be fourth suit forcing.) Best is to lie with one no-trump, enabling us to bid a natural and non-forcing two diamonds if partner finds the likely rebid of two clubs.