ACES ON BRIDGE

“We think our fathers fools, so wise we grow; Our wiser sons, no doubt, will think us so.” — Alexander Pope

The Norwegian furniture giant, Skeidar, sponsors the prize for the best-played deal by a Norwegian declarer, and one of Norway’s most capable young players, Tor Eivind Grude, won the 2019 prize, as well as earning a nomination for the 2020 International Bridge Press Association declarer play award.

South decided the chances of a club slam were minimal facing a weak notrump, so he jumped to the heart game to give away as little as possible.

West led the club king. After some thought, Grude went up with the ace and found to his surprise that East could ruff. He took the spade return with the ace, and two rounds of trumps revealed the good news there. Grude decided that East must hold the spade king, and so he found a neat way of bringing home the game: by playing a diamond to the nine.

East was trapped. He returned a diamond to dummy after winning his 10. Grude now ensured his contract, on the assumption that the spade king was to his right, by advancing the spade queen, letting East have the trick when he covered with the king. East then had to provide an entry to the dummy, letting Grude get rid of all of his remaining club losers.

East’s decision not to overcall in diamonds was a surprising one, but it likely made no difference. If East had bid two diamonds, West would have led a diamond against four hearts. Perhaps declarer could have grabbed the ace, cashed the heart tops, unblocked the spade ace and exited with a trump, endplaying East in similar fashion.

ANSWER: Pass. It could be right to bid, but you have no reason to believe that partner has anything. East could still have a decent hand for his barrage bid. If you were going to act, you would have to risk a call of three spades. A takeout double would invite a minorsuit call, and this is not a hand you would like to put down in four or five of a minor — doubled or not.