Houston Chronicle

ACES ON BRIDGE

- By Bobby Wolff

Today’s deal features an important tool for declarer. See if you can spot it, at the critical moment.

North’s jump to three hearts was a splinter bid agreeing spades but not forcing to game. Had North held a strong red two-suiter, he would have reversed to two hearts, which would have been forcing.

On the strength of his fifth spade, South bid the spade game, and West led the club queen. Declarer correctly took dummy’s ace and cashed the spade ace. If trumps broke 2-2, then he would have seven spade tricks plus three aces and kings; however, if trumps broke 3-1, he might be scrambling for a 10th trick.

Setting up diamonds looked best, so, without taking the second top spade, declarer cashed the top diamonds, then played a third. When East followed, South saw that if West held a doubleton diamond and three spades, West could overruff him and cross over to East with a club. Then a fourth round of diamonds would give the defenders two trump tricks. That is why, in a combinatio­n of loser-on-loser play and scissors coup, declarer discarded his losing club.

South ruffed the club continuati­on and conceded a heart. After ruffing the club return, he crossed to the spade king and ruffed a diamond. Dummy’s fifth diamond was establishe­d, and all the defenders could take was their master trump. Note: Cashing the second top trump early lets West subsequent­ly regain the lead. As long as he doesn’t overruff in diamonds, he can lead the spade queen, leaving declarer with just nine tricks.

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