ACES ON BRIDGE

This week’s deals are all based on blocking plays by declarer. After South’s aggressive twospade overcall, West competes to show a minimum opening hand with extra shape, less than a genuine invitation. With more, he could bid three clubs directly. Similarly, with balanced extras, West could make a takeout double or bid three no-trump. North’s raise to three spades silences East. Declarer captures the club king and leads a spade to the nine. West wins the next spade as East completes an echo, suit preference for hearts. West duly shifts to the heart 10, and declarer is at a crossroads. West must have one of the missing red aces, and if it is the diamond, declarer has no chance. The defense can unravel their tricks regardless of the location of the heart honors, since West retains two minor-suit entries. Declarer needs to find the diamond ace on his right, and he can place a heart honor with East after his signal. Since he has no chance if East has the heart ace, South must use the heart king to block the suit, then give up a club to cut EastWest’s communications. With the heart queen still in the way,

West’s heart ace is useless, and declarer can eventually knock out the diamond ace to establish a heart discard.

The club play is an example of the Scissors Coup. If declarer instead played a diamond after winning the heart king, East could rise with the ace, unblock the heart queen and lead a club over to West to allow him to cash the heart ace.