ACES ON BRIDGE

“Never measure the height of a mountain until you have reached the top.Then you will see how low it was.”

— Dag Hammarskjold

In third seat, South improvised with a lead-directing one-spade opener. To his dismay, North bounced to game, hoping to incite further action from the opponents. Facing a vulnerable two-level overcall, East doubled to end the auction. The spade king was fairly unlikely to be worth much, but he believed he had a plus-score to protect.

With no attractive lead, West chose a trump, reasoning that the opposition would often have 10 spades, and thus the lead would not cost a trick. Declarer won with the spade seven, finessed the diamond queen and shed a club on the diamond ace. He then gave up a heart, West winning and shifting to the club king. East encouraged, took the next club and played a third, ruffed by South. A heart ruff was followed by a trump finesse and another heart ruff. When the queen came down tripleton, declarer crossed back to hand in the trump suit and claimed his ambitious contract.

West could have set the game immediately by leading a rounded suit, but perhaps a more realistic way would have been to continue diamonds when in with the heart ace. East could then pitch a heart, and declarer would be unable to establish his long suit without conceding an overruff to East’s spade king.

Of course, West expected South to hold five spades, but, equally, East might have inferred that the clubs could wait. Had East discouraged on the king, perhaps West would have shifted to diamonds.

ANSWER: You could open with these cards, but the unsupported major-suit honors do not appeal. It would be reasonable to open one club when non-vulnerable, or perhaps in first (and certainly in third) seat, but in other chairs I would pass. For the record, if you hear a major suit opened on your right, please do not even think about overcalling two clubs!