ACES ON BRIDGE

Let schoolmasters puzzle their brain, With grammar, and nonsense, and learning, Good liquor, I stoutly maintain, Gives genius a better discerning.

— Oliver Goldsmith

Declarer displayed fine technique to overcome a hostile break in today’s hand.

South might have opened two clubs, but he got more valuable information from the leap to four spades over his one-level opening. South’s jump to six at his next turn was a little clumsy but sensible enough because the partnership was a casual one.

West led the club queen to dummy’s king and East’s ace. Declarer ruffed this low then drew trumps with the ace, king and queen. A 3-3 heart break would allow him to claim, but when the suit proved to be 4-2, he now needed to play diamonds for three tricks.

Declarer now eliminated the hearts, then led a low diamond from dummy.

When East followed with the seven, declarer had a lock by finessing the jack. If West won, he would be endplayed to continue diamonds, giving up that suit even if they were 4-1, or to provide a ruff-and-sluff. As it was, the diamond jack held, and South continued his good work by leading a low diamond from hand. Whether West played the king or followed with a small card, declarer would have guaranteed himself three tricks in the suit, even if West had ducked the diamond jack when holding king-fourth in the suit.

On the actual layout, it was West who discarded on the second diamond, so declarer played low from dummy, and East was endplayed when he won the trick. A diamond return would see dummy’s queen make a trick, and a club would allow a ruff-and-discard. ANSWER: It is a guess as to which minor suit to lead. Rather than toss a coin, lay down the heart ace. You will get a look at dummy and can then decide which ruff to try for, from a more informed position. The heart ace is unlikely to cost a trick, and you may find you can give your partner a ruff at trick two.