ACES ON BRIDGE

“But I saw you with my own eyes!”

“Well, who you gonna believe, me or your own eyes?”

— Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby

This week’s theme is deception. Sometimes, you can try a duck as a desperate diversion measure when you have tricks to spare and want to fool the defense into thinking they should continue with the suit they have led rather than switch.

Here, North raises his partner’s no-trump rebid to game, and declarer receives the lead of the diamond four. The objective is to establish the clubs while avoiding a deadly heart shift. If East were to play the diamond 10, South might try the old trick of winning with a higher card than necessary so as to encourage a continuation (see yesterday’s hand), taking East’s 10 with the king here. This way, if

West were to hold the club ace, he would place the diamond jack with his partner and see a future in the suit. But that particular maneuver will not work out this time as East plays the queen.

So declarer tries something different — he ducks the diamond queen! Now East will doubtless play another diamond to the jack and ace. Then declarer knocks out the club ace; any but the most suspicious of Easts will simply play a third diamond now. After all, who would duck the first diamond from king-jack-low? Note that this maneuver only works when third hand plays an honor. To duck the 10 would be silly, with the jack turning up to scuttle the deception on the next round.

Also, attitude leads (where West would lead a higher spot from 10-fourth) would certainly help here.

ANSWER: Double. It is losing bridge to sell out to an opponent’s eight-card fit at the two-level. Re-opening is not risk-free, in that you are forcing your side to the three-level, but this action is not likely to backfire. If your partner has a red-suit fit, you will probably be glad you acted. If he has any sort of two-suited hand, you hope he will bid two no-trump. Thus, a three-club call by him should show five, and you can pass.