ACES ON BRIDGE

Decide not rashly.The decision made Can never be recalled. — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

It was always going to be difficult for North-South to reach three no-trump after the one-spade opener. Once North dredged up a takeout double, South was determined to play in hearts.

Against the heart game, West kicked off with a top spade. The spot cards revealed that his partner did not have three. East would have followed low from queen-six-two, and the two was still out.

Everyone followed to the spade ace, which might have tempted some Wests to lead a third round in the hope of an uppercut, but finding the heart Q-10 in East was a very specific wish, and it would cost the contract if East had queen-third in hearts and declarer was 5-5 in the rounded suits. East could ruff and lose his trump trick, or discard and allow declarer to get rid of his diamond loser.

Since neither a diamond nor a trump shift at trick three was safe,

West got off play with a club. Declarer saw that if he played four trumps and then cashed clubs ending in dummy, he could squeeze West down to ace-doubleton in diamonds, but he would be in the wrong hand to benefit from it. So South simply played a diamond to the king and then ducked the next round, hoping for the diamond doubleton on his left. One down.

Had West not cashed the spade ace at trick two, declarer could have succeeded by drawing trumps, eliminating clubs and exiting with the spade queen. West would win and be forced either to open up diamonds or to hand over a spade trick to dummy’s 10.

ANSWER: Beware 5-3-3-2 hands when acting over one no-trump. Your cards outside hearts are defensive, and you are likely to have plenty of losers if you declare the hand. Pass, intending to lead a top heart. By contrast, in the balancing seat all bets are off. Balance whenever you feel like it — especially if you expect partner to lead one of your short or weak suits if you do not balance.