ACES ON BRIDGE

“Does the end justify the means? That is possible. But what will justify the end? To that question, which historical thought leaves pending, rebellion replies: the means.”

— Albert Camus

When I saw this deal reported from Honors Bridge Club in New York, it was written up with the heading of “The Curse of Scotland?” It came up in December 2017, and it was a hand where East-West were robbed of a chance for brilliancy — all because of the diamond nine.

Judy Weisman sat West, and she started the defense on the right lines when she led the club king, an inspired shot against the slam, because it forced declarer to take his discards at once. (If declarer had had a singleton spade, he would have been forced to cut his own communications.)

Declarer won the club ace and played two top spades, pitching a club on the first.

Put yourself in East’s shoes and plan the defense. Lipkin found the defense that would set the hand no matter which three diamonds his partner had.

He ruffed with the ace (an unnatural play in my opinion) to return a diamond; that killed declarer’s chances since, whatever he did, he was left with a heart loser.

As the cards lay, Lipkin could have ruffed with the diamond 10 — but only because his partner had the diamond nine (the Curse of Scotland).

For example, switch the nine and eight of trumps, and declarer would overruff the diamond 10 with the jack, then play the heart ace and ruff a heart.

He could now lead a spade and maneuver to draw trumps without West being able to promote a trump.

ANSWER: While your hand might not be worth a call of two hearts, you expect the opponents to bounce to at least the threelevel in spades, and you therefore need to get your hand off your chest at your first turn. Bid hearts, then raise clubs, which will at least get the basic nature of your hand across to your partner at the cost of a mild overbid.