ACES ON BRIDGE

“As if you could kill time without injuring eternity.”

— Henry David Thoreau

As South, you have a very powerful hand, but not one suitable for a two-club opening. It is better to take it carefully, by bidding your suits in economical order. When North makes the simple raise to two hearts, you might just jump to game — but since you need so little to make slam, why not try a delicate two-spade call?

This is a long-suit game-try, which means it asks North to value his hand on the basis that his partner has honor-third or honor-fourth in spades. North has a decent hand (four trumps and respectable high cards, plus a nice spade holding facing length) — enough to jump to game. Now South should be prepared to take a shot at slam in the knowledge that his partner’s holding must be reasonably suitable for his purposes.

When West leads the diamond jack, the simple line for South — of winning, then laying down the heart ace — would turn out very badly today. You can afford to be more careful in a slam, can’t you?

Trick one goes to the queen, king and ace of diamonds. You cash the club ace, then cross to table with a spade and throw the losing diamond away on the club king.

Now the only danger is 3-0 trumps. You can protect yourself against almost anything if you lead a low trump from dummy and simply cover East’s card.

Check it out if you do not believe me. When you put the heart nine on East’s eight, you will simultaneously make your day and spoil his!

ANSWER: The question of when to lead an unsupported ace in a bid and supported suit is a thorny one. I’m generally against it, unless it is clear that declarer has discards coming on a long suit. Here, that doesn’t seem to be the case, so I would lead a top club.