ACES ON BRIDGE

All of our deals this week come from 21 years ago, when the World Championships were played in Rhodes. Today’s deal comes from a qualifying match featuring Fred Gitelman of Canada, better known these days as the face of Bridge Base Online, the most popular site for playing bridge on the internet.

Gitelman reached five diamonds from the South seat after East had suggested a decent hand with both majors over North’s weak no-trump. As an aside, it makes sense to keep your normal system in place after an intervention of two clubs, with double being Stayman and keeping the red suits as transfers. But when the call of two clubs shows the majors, double to show a good hand and use two diamonds as natural. Meanwhile, jumps in the majors should show shortage with both minors and game-forcing values.

In five diamonds, declarer took the opening heart lead in hand and led a spade to the queen and the ace. (It might have been more interesting if East had ducked this smoothly.)

Back came a heart, so Gitelman ruffed, took the diamond king and guessed correctly to finesse in diamonds, on the theory that East apparently had at least nine cards in the majors, while West had at most six. Next, the spade king dropped the 10, and Gitelman guessed right again by going to dummy to draw the last trump, then taking the spade finesse against the nine.

Now he could ruff the last heart, cash his spade winner to throw a club away, and try the club finesse for an overtrick.

ANSWER: This is a penalty double, not a responsive double. Clearly, West is playing a little joke with heart support, and the issue is whether to pass and bid spades later or raise spades at once. With so little defense against hearts and a good, if minimum, hand for spades, I think a raise to two spades ensures we get our message across in good time. If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, email him at bobbywolff@mindspring.com