ACES ON BRIDGE

“The haste of a fool is the slowest thing in the world.”

— Thomas Shadwell

When there are two top cards to force out in a side suit, declarer may need to be especially careful to retain trump control. On this hand, where South plays in four spades against a heart lead, the correct technique would escape the majority of players.

It seems safe enough to win with the heart ace and draw trumps, but observe what happens when the spades divide 5-1. As soon as he discovers the bad break, South plays a club, but it is too late. The defenders set up the force in hearts, and when they win the second club, they punch declarer again. That reduces South to one less trump than West, and declarer will not enjoy a single club trick. He will go one down, making six spades, two diamonds, and one heart.

A more careful assessment at the beginning of the hand would have suggested that it belonged to the familiar type in which declarer must retain a trump in the short hand to protect himself from a possible force.

He should lead a club at trick two, and the best defense, as before, is a heart continuation. South ruffs and plays a second club; now the defenders can take their ruff in clubs, but dummy’s singleton spade is protection against a further heart play. If they do anything else, declarer simply draws four rounds of trumps and lets the defenders score the master trump at their convenience.

At pairs, you might try for the overtrick, but at teams or rubber, it is better to settle for your contract and forget overtricks.

ANSWER: Your answer here might be determined by the vulnerability. Pass if vulnerable, but risk a pre-empt (two diamonds, or three if non-vulnerable). You can take certain liberties in third seat to make it hard for the opponents to get together. It is certainly their hand, after all. Never mind the poor suit, you have shape to compensate.