ACES ON BRIDGE

“How often misused words generate misleading thoughts.” — Herbert Spencer

When West led the spade jack against three no-trump, declarer saw that he would need two tricks from the heart suit. He intended to lead up to his honors twice, but he would also need to deflect a club switch lest the defenders score four winners there. So South created a diversion by winning the spade king and calling for the club jack. That floated around to West, who continued spades. Declarer won in hand, crossed to the diamond ace and led a heart to the king.

West still believed that declarer needed club tricks, so he won the heart ace and cleared spades, whereupon South could eventually finesse the heart 10 for his contract. Maybe West should have asked himself why declarer would suddenly start on clubs and then not continue the suit. Moreover, declarer presumably had the diamond king, or he would be working on his long diamonds.

Still, West did what came naturally. Of course, if declarer had played a heart to the king at trick two, surely West would have known declarer had seven pointed-suit tricks and two hearts, and he would find the winning club shift. In effect, declarer gave West an attractive losing option and confused the defense, a tactic that could even legitimately block the suit on some layouts.

As a defender, when a declarer you trust doesn’t play on dummy’s obvious but non-solid suit, assume either that it is ready to run or that declarer has unexpected shortage in that suit.

ANSWER: You could hazard a takeout double here as an easy way into the auction. You hope not to hear an embarrassing club response from partner, but it may be better to act now and get partner’s input than to come back in later if, say, one spade is raised to two, when you would be guessing at a higher level and with more to lose if you are wrong. I can imagine doing this even if partner were a passed hand.