ACES ON BRIDGE
Play up! Play up! And play the game!
— Sir Henry
Newbolt This week, we will be examining some hands from the 2023 European Winter Games held in Tignes, France.
The underdog Croatian team had an astounding run in the Swiss qualifying, leading for much of it and eventually finishing ninth, of 16 teams going through to the knockout phase. There, Croatia faced the French Vinciguerra team. It all came down to the last deal of their 56-board match.
Thomas Bessis of France doubled four spades for takeout on the East cards, and his partner, Cedric Lorenzini, duly bid five diamonds. Marko Sipus did well to compete to five spades over that, inferring the diamond void opposite. Lorenzini doubled and led a trump, the usual tactic when your side has the majority of high-card firepower. Sipus won cheaply in hand and set about ruffing diamonds to establish his long card on the likely 4-4 break. If West had only three diamonds, he might have bid four no-trump to offer two places to play.
The diamond ruff was followed by a heart to the jack and another diamond ruff. Then declarer ruffed a club to ruff a third diamond. A second heart was led from the dummy, but Bessis rose with the ace and returned a club to force declarer to ruff. After drawing all of West’s trumps, declarer could give up a diamond to establish his long card, but he had already lost control. The defenders still had a club to cash.
Declarer had gotten his timing slightly wrong. After the second diamond ruff, he should cross again in hearts. East must be out of trumps, given his takeout double of four spades, so he can only win the heart ace and return a club. The difference now is that declarer has not yet forced himself. He ruffs the club, ruffs a third diamond, returns to the heart king, draw trumps and concedes a diamond.
ANSWER: Lead the diamond king. To cut down on the opponents’ ruffs, it is often right to lead trumps when you have them outgunned, but West probably has five trumps here. Declarer might be able to take discards on the hearts, so lead a top diamond. With the same hand and, for example, king-third in hearts, there might be a better case for a trump lead, I suppose.