ACES ON BRIDGE

The optimal way to handle a suit combination in practice can often differ from the best theoretical play, as we will see today.

The one-no-trump rebid is acceptable here despite the two small diamonds, since a call of two clubs would overstate the clubs and misdescribe the basic nature of the hand.

South accepts North’s invitation, and East wins West’s lead of the diamond six with the queen. He returns the five, and West ducks to preserve communications. Even if West were to conceal the diamond four, trying to look like a man with four diamonds, declarer would have reason to doubt that the return of the five was from an original four-card holding.

The percentage play in clubs is to lead to the queen, playing for a singleton or doubleton club king onside. But since West holds at least five diamonds, East is favored to hold the longer clubs.

Also, East might sometimes duck when declarer advances dummy’s club jack. Holding king-ninelow, covering may be wrong, since West might hold the singleton queen!

So, declarer calls for the club jack, and East defends well by covering. Now declarer returns to dummy with a spade and leads the club eight, collecting East’s six. South seems to have a pure guess, but perhaps the principle of restricted choice can steer him right. West could drop either the club 10 or club nine from an original 10-9, making that holding half as likely. Declarer lets the club eight ride, wrapping up his game.

ANSWER: This is not strong enough for a one-diamond overcall. Either the suit should be better, maybe with some of the spade honors in diamonds, or the hand should be stronger in general for such a call. It is not the same as the overcall of a major, which could be made on shape in the hope of catching a fit and winning the auction. Add the diamond jack, and I would be more tempted; the queen would sell me!

“It is a test of true theories not only to account for but to predict phenomena.”

— William Whewell