aces on bridge

“The valiant knight of Triermain

Rung forth his challengeblast again,

But answer came there none.”

— Sir Walter Scott

The NEC tournament in Japan was recently won by a squad made up of one pair from Australia and one from New Zealand. In the finals, Tony Nunn from the winning Down Under team had to work very hard to generate a small swing for his side.

In one room, with two spades relatively comfortable for EastWest, the Down Under team had sold out to one no-trump after West had shown the majors over a strong club.

Against one no-trump, the defenders led a spade to the queen and king; the spade nine came back and was covered and ducked. The defense could now take their four spades and two aces, but declarer had his seven tricks.

In our featured room, Tony Nunn played in three clubs after the auction shown, and West found the thoughtful lead of the heart ace and a second heart. Nunn won and played a trump to dummy, which was ducked, and a second trump to hand. When West discarded, declarer played a third trump to East, who led a spade to his partner for the heart ruff.

East now found the diamond shift, and Nunn read the position perfectly when he won in dummy and cashed one more trump. East was now subjected to an unusual squeeze: He chose to pitch a spade, so declarer came to hand with a diamond and ruffed out the spade king, with a diamond entry left in hand to cash his spade winner. Had East pitched a diamond, that suit would have run for declarer.

Making 110 was worth 1 hardearned IMP.

ANSWER: Given that two diamonds is a transfer to hearts, should you simply complete the transfer or do more? If you play a call of two no-trump here as a maximum hand with three good hearts headed by two top honors or better, that call would be ideal. I recommend it as simple and easily remembered; it might get you to three no-trump facing the right balanced 7- or 8-count.