aces on bridge

“When poisoned, one might as well swallow the plate.” — Japanese proverb

Today’s deal from the 2017 NEC Trophy in Japan saw several declarers struggling in a delicate four spade game here.

Where Cenk Tunkok was declarer, West led a diamond against four spades, won his spade ace and shifted to hearts.

Declarer won in hand and played a spade, which was ducked, and another spade. East won his king, and after some reflection continued with a heart.

Declarer knew from East’s opening bid that the club finesse was losing, but if he had taken it, he would have been home. Instead, he imagined East had begun with 4-4-4-1 shape, so he led a club to the ace and another club. A third heart from East now left him stranded, since he had no communication left in clubs.

Nicely defended, but in the other room, where East had not bid, Sally Brock led a heart, and declarer won in hand and knocked out the spade ace, won the heart return, and played a second trump. When the nine held, South could see that a third trump would be fatal if the club king was wrong. Instead, he crossed to hand with a diamond and passed the club nine, and Barry Myers ducked smoothly.

Declarer had no reason not to repeat the finesse, but now Myers won, cashed the spade king and played the third heart, again leaving declarer without the communications to draw trumps.

Curiously, ducking the club was an unnecessary risk here, since winning and playing back either a club or a heart would have been good enough to beat the game, regardless of what declarer did.

ANSWER: Your major-suit honors appear to be working overtime here. RHO is relatively unlikely to have three spades (as he did not make a support redouble), so you can at least make an invitation to game with a call of two no-trump. In fact, I’m torn between this and a bid of three notrump, given that my minor-suit builders look so useful.