ACES ON BRIDGE

This week’s deals all featured in the 2005 World Team Championships held in Estoril, Portugal. The Bermuda Bowl was won by Italy for the first time in 30 years, since the end of the illustrious Blue Team’s reign. Our first hand posed an interesting defensive problem, which Zhong Fu and Jie Zhao, for the Chinese open team, were up to solving. First of all, though, how would you deal with the North hand in response to a 13-15 no-trump opener? Assuming you are planning to drive to game, which you surely are, North should transfer to clubs, then show spade shortness if your system allows. (With long clubs and four spades, you would start with Stayman.)

After all, North can see that his side might make a slam with nothing in spades opposite, yet be going down in three no-trump. The actual choice of a straight raise to the no-trump game has some practical advantages, but no style points.

Fu led the heart king, then continued the suit as Zhao showed odd count. Declarer, Jorge Castanheiro, withheld his ace twice, leaving no future in the heart suit. West saw this and sought to establish the spade suit while his partner retained a minor-suit stopper. East took the spade ace and continued the suit to the jack and queen, declarer pitching a deceptive club from dummy. Not one to fall at the final hurdle, Fu completed an elegant defense by shifting to a diamond. One down, plus 50 and a round of applause from the audience.