ACES ON BRIDGE

It is nice to have valid competition; it pushes you to do better. — Gianni Versace

Every year, there is a junior tournament between England, France, the Netherlands and Belgium, with three categories: under 26, under 21 and women under 26. This deal proved to be the key in the England Juniors’ win over the Netherlands.

When West led the diamond seven against four spades doubled, East played three rounds of the suit. South, Ben Norton, ruffed the third spade high, West following what seemed to be good technique by discarding.

He chose a high club, showing an even number to signal count. But this proved to be a bad idea, because it tipped declarer off to the club position. Declarer realized West surely had some length in spades along with a doubleton diamond, and his discard of a club was not consistent with his holding the queen. Declarer determined that it might be a good idea to extract any trump East might hold, so he fi rst led a sly spade 10 from his hand.

West might have inferred that declarer had semi- solid spades ( since he had earlier ruffed in with the king), but he could see little danger in ducking. South showed him the error of his ways by switching tack. He played the ace and another club, putting up the king. When the queen fell, he could discard his heart on the third club, ruff a heart back to hand and draw trumps for plus- 790.

In the other room, East- West had bid on to fi ve hearts doubled. This went two down, for minus- 300, so the swing was 10 IMPs to England instead of 11 IMPs the other way.

BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: It is sensible to play your partner’s one- spade call as forcing for one round by an unpassed hand. So here, your partner surely has close to opening values and four hearts, or compensation in the form of extra strength. I would raise to three hearts, while secretly worrying that my partner is more likely to take eight tricks than 10 in hearts.