aces on bridge
“Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.”
— Daniel 6:8
When Jens Auken wrote about the “kill-point,” he was suggesting that it is dangerous ever to relax at the table. If you do, you might miss that the critical point of a deal has been reached.
When the following hand arose, players sitting West were weighed in the balance, and most were found wanting. It looked normal for East to pre-empt to two spades, over which South could take the two-way shot to jump to five clubs. Since East’s opening call had virtually denied two aces, West typically doubled rather than bidding five spades, then led the spade king. When the king held, West had to plan the defense at trick two. I invite you to do likewise before reading on!
Doesn’t it seem natural to shift to a top heart? If you do, declarer ruffs in hand and lays down the club ace, then ruffs a spade, ruffs a heart, and goes to dummy with the club 10. Now the heart ace, followed by a heart ruff, eliminates all the major suits from his hand and dummy. The diamond ace and a second diamond leaves West hopelessly endplayed, forced to concede a ruff-and-discard, on which declarer’s last diamond loser is discarded.
If West does not lead or shift to a heart, declarer cannot eliminate the major suits — the trump entries to dummy are insufficient. But at only one of the eight tables did a defender spot the trap. When Michel Perron of France saw Paul Chemla contribute the spade nine at the first trick, showing an even number, he carefully continued with a spade to defeat the contract.
ANSWER: Since this might be your only chance to lead through dummy, I suggest that a heart is more likely to be successful. Partner rates to have exactly four cards on this auction, and while the jack might work to take three tricks quickly, you could hardly blame your partner for trying to give you a ruff. In any event, you might get in with the club king again for a second heart play, if necessary.