ACES ON BRIDGE

Our final example in the theme of negotiating a suit missing the queen and jack will happen to you only once in a lifetime; be ready for it, please!

In the finals of the World Championships in Beijing in 1995, neither the men nor women managed to stop low — indeed, three pairs bid the hands to game, and no one made much of an attempt to make it. Strangely enough, when South declares the hand on a diamond lead, the contract is unbreakable. Of course, South can play for a mundane doubleton queen-jack of trumps, but that will never get you in the papers, will it?

In four hearts, there is no need to rush things; the timing is a little awkward, but it is simplest to finesse the diamond jack at trick one, then play a club. East must take his ace, and a diamond return is as good as any. South wins the ace, plays a spade to the king, then leads the diamond king for a spade discard; now the carding makes it safe to ruff a diamond. Next cash the club king, pitching a spade, ruff a club and exit with a spade from dummy. In the five-card ending, either defender can take this trick, but it is best for West to overtake East’s queen with the ace and cash his side’s second spade trick. However, declarer is now left with A-9-4 in trumps facing K-10-6, and the defense’s trump trick is about to vanish. When West leads a club, you ruff low in dummy, and whether East ruffs in with the eight or queen, you are home free. A perfect Devil’s coup.