ACES ON BRIDGE

“Never be a pioneer. It’s the early Christian that gets the fattest lion.”

— Saki

After North’s opening bid, South’s thoughts will immediately turn toward slam. His plan will be to bid hearts, then diamonds. But once his partner raises hearts, showing extras in the process, South can use Blackwood, perhaps expecting to head toward a grand slam.

However, somewhat to South’s surprise, North shows only one ace by his response of five diamonds. Once South discovers that an ace is missing, he can do nothing but jump to six hearts. This is a call that should end the auction, since North has no reason to overrule his partner. If South were interested in a grand slam, he would go slower.

West’s best chance to defeat the slam on opening lead is his singleton — even though it is in dummy’s first bid suit. If South wins the trick, underestimating the danger, and leads a trump at once, East will take his heart ace and return a club for his partner to ruff.

But there is a way around the problem; the simplest way is for declarer to discard his club on dummy’s spade king. So South unblocks the spade ace, then cashes the diamond ace and ruffs a diamond in order to reach dummy. Declarer is then in position to play off the spade king, discarding the last club from the South hand.

South can now afford to draw trumps. When East wins with his ace and leads a second round of clubs, South can ruff high and draw the rest of the trumps to make his slam.

ANSWER: Anyone who tells you that there is a serious alternative in standard bidding to raising to two spades here should be regarded suspiciously ever after. Yes, you have good clubs, but the raise here does not guarantee four trumps. It suggests four, or three and a ruffing value with a minimum opener — perfect for this hand.