ACES ON BRIDGE

Four be the things I’d be better without: Love, curiosity, freckles, and doubt.

— Dorothy Parker

In this deal from the Morehead Grand National Teams, Doug Doub and Frank Merblum bid to six hearts after a 14-16 one-no-trump opening and transfer sequence. When Doub jumped to show a suitable hand with four-card heart support, Merblum checked on key cards before driving to slam.

West naturally led his singleton spade. Now, looking at only the North-South hands, how should declarer play?

It might initially seem as though the contract depends on at least one of the missing diamond honors being onside. Declarer can discard a club from dummy on the fourth spade and then take the double diamond finesse. Alas, East holds both honors. However, declarer can sometimes protect himself against that eventuality when trumps break. He draws trumps, eliminates the black suits, comes to hand in trumps and plays a diamond to the 10. If trumps break 3-1, declarer discards his club on the spades and hopes the diamonds behave. Otherwise, as here, East is endplayed upon winning the first diamond.

This is how Doub played, picking up a swing for his side, District 29, when the North-South pair played game in the other room.

West could have set the contract by leading a diamond to break up the endplay, but a spade was surely the best shot single dummy. This would secure a spade ruff when East had either major-suit ace.

ANSWER: I would pass unless vulnerable at teams or rubber bridge. You do not quite have enough to push on to game, though it is tempting. The likelihood of your kings working (because they are in your short suits) definitely makes the decision a close one.

If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, email him at bobbywolff@mindspring.com