ACES ON BRIDGE

“Help yourself, and heaven will help you.”

— Jean de la Fontaine

Today’s deal cropped up in the finals of the 2012 Women’s World Championships between England and Russia.

Both tables declared four spades rather than the simpler contract of three no-trump. When Susan Stockdale was South, West led the heart 10. Stockdale won with dummy’s ace and advanced the spade queen.

When that held, she played a spade to her 10 and drew the outstanding trump, while West discarded the heart two.

Now declarer followed the sound principle of eliminating the side suits by cashing her top hearts, with East discarding an encouraging diamond.

Declarer exited with the diamond jack, and West put up the king and returned the 10 for the eight, five and ace.

South now exited with a diamond, and when East won to play a club, she ducked. She knew the defenders would be able to take only one club, since West would be endplayed on winning her club honor.

When Natalia Ponomareva for Russia was declarer, West also led a top heart (the jack), and the play to the first six tricks was nearly identical.

But when South led the diamond jack, Nevena Senior as West made a good play by ducking. Now Heather Dhondy was able to win and switch to the club six, which Senior won with her king to return a devious diamond 10, rather than the king.

Declarer assumed that East had the diamond king, so she ducked, hoping West had no more diamonds. But now Senior could exit with the diamond king, and declarer had to lose another club trick eventually.

ANSWER: There is no need to do anything but raise to four diamonds here. A jump to game would be weaker than the simple raise. You may not have a great hand, but you do have good trumps, a control and a ruffing value. The real question is whether to cooperate in any cue-bidding sequence partner may initiate. I say yes.