ACES ON BRIDGE

In today’s themed deal, South takes inferences from the bidding to form a blueprint of the layout, then plays on the plain suits to add detail to the image. East responds light to his partner’s opener, and South gambles a two-club overcall, emboldened by the favorable vulnerability. West makes a support double to show three spades, and North cue-bids two diamonds as a good raise. South retreats to three clubs, where the matter rests. While three no-trump may have decent chances, playing in the suit gives South time for more detective work. On the spade queen lead, declarer notes that East has exactly four spades. Thus, each defender must have exactly seven major-suit cards. It is just a matter of finding out how many of each minor suit they possess. East has at least three clubs, but there is no harm in investigating before making a committal move. Declarer wins the spade in hand and plays the diamond ace and a second diamond. He wins the heart king continuation in dummy and ruffs a diamond to hand. When East shows out, he is known to hold 4=3=2=4 distribution. South enters dummy with the club king, finesses the club nine, crosses back to the spade king and finesses in clubs again. Had East followed to the third diamond, declarer would have played a club to the jack on the second round, unless East’s third diamond were the king, which would mark West with the club queen. Then, South would play clubs from the top.