ACES ON BRIDGE

In today’s deal, South opens one spade, and West overcalls two clubs. North can double to show values and the unbid suits. South now wants to get to a game, but does not know which. He cannot bid no-trump without a club stopper. Spades seems a likely prospect, but there may be a 5-3 heart fit, or his partner may have a club stopper.

South’s three-club cue-bid asks North for more information about his hand. When North shows his diamonds, South repeats his spades, and North raises to game to end the auction.

South ruffs the third club and must then look for the safest way to make his contract. If South simply lays down his three top trumps, he will be left with just the trump 10 while West has the jack. South will then have to start on the diamonds, and if East gives count, West will wait until the third round of diamonds to ruff in. West will exit safely with a club, and South will have to surrender a heart trick for down one.

The solution is to give up the trump trick at a time when the opponents are unable to return a club. In other words, there must still be a high trump left in dummy when the trump is given up.

So, South crosses to a top diamond at trick four and leads a spade to the 10! West can take the trump jack, but if he returns a club, dummy’s spade eight will protect declarer against the force. If West returns a diamond or heart, South can win, draw trumps and take the rest.