ACES ON BRIDGE

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

— Anonymous

On this hand from the 2002 Mcconnell Cup final in Montreal, South’s decision to jump to game instead of bidding three spades may look optimistic, but all that contract needed was for both diamond honors to be right — was that too much to ask? Not only that, but with the potential for establishing a fourth round of both minors, the contract had decent play on the actual lie of the cards.

When West led a top club, it was ducked by declarer, as she carefully unblocked the nine from hand. To set the hand, West could continue with a top club (which would have forced declarer to win and draw all the trumps, in order to prevent the defenders leading two more rounds of clubs to kill the discard). Alternatively, West could have shifted to either a trump or the heart king.

At the table, West actually played the diamond ace and another diamond, as East encouraged. Now declarer correctly put up the king and drew all the trumps, ending in hand, then led the club 10, covered with the queen and ace. Next she played a third club. West won and exited with the heart king, and declarer no longer had the entries to pitch her diamond on the fourth club and establish the diamonds.

There are complex winning lines, but the simplest after drawing trumps is to duck the second club when West covers. That lets you capture the heart king at the next trick and finesse in clubs for your diamond discard, after which you are in dummy for the ruffing finesse in diamonds.

ANSWER: I would advocate bidding three no-trump. Even though you have two suits wide open, it is still better to eschew Stayman and raise directly. Your flat shape argues for no-trump play, and to bid Stayman might tip the defenders off to the best lead, either by a double or by inferences from the Stayman response or continuation.