ACES ON BRIDGE

It is not often that one side declares three no-trump after an opponent’s strong no-trump opening, but long suits can be worth their weight in gold. North’s double promised a single-suited hand. East’s redouble was a recue mechanism, forcing West to bid two clubs. North’s double promised at least six clubs, and East’s two diamonds advertised a five-card suit. West led the diamond four. Once dummy appeared, declarer counted eight certain tricks. It is often right to run the long suit, but South could see his own hand might get squeezed.

Since declarer did not want East to gain the lead, he played low from dummy at trick one and took East’s diamond eight with the king. Since West would have led the diamond queen when also holding the jack, and East would probably have played the queen at trick one if he had it, West surely held the diamond queen and all the major-suit top cards.

So declarer advanced the heart queen at trick two. West won and continued with the diamond queen. Declarer ducked, then took the next diamond with the ace, pitching a spade. Again, declarer did not touch the club suit, instead playing a low heart to his jack. West took this with the ace and exited with a club. Declarer now claimed nine tricks — a heart, two diamonds and six clubs. As for East’s play to trick one, note that if East had the diamond queen and West the jack, it would have been necessary for East to insert a diamond intermediate. Then he could not be kept off lead to find the deadly spade shift.