ACES ON BRIDGE

In this deal from our continued examination of the 2019 Queensland Gold Coast Congress, declarer Michael Ware had a chance to make his game by force, but the carding devolved into catch-as-catch-can, with the defenders making the final mistake.

Against four spades, West led the diamond jack. Ware now did well to put up the diamond king and guess spades, but perhaps the implicit diamond count favored the bidder for spade length.

After the spade ace and spade jack, ducked all around, Ware cashed the diamond ace and now had a complete count of the deal — assuming West would have led a singleton club. West had to be 4=5=2=2, and so the winning play was to lead the club king to remove East’s entry at once. However, after Ware played winning diamonds at tricks four and five, West correctly ruffed in. Ware pitched a heart from dummy, and West shifted to the club 10 to declarer’s king. Now, when the third spade was played, East had to pitch a club. (Throw losers, keep winners!) Ware then led a heart to the king. West took that and played a second club to East, but now instead of giving a ruff-anddiscard, which would have set the game, East led a low club. Declarer let it run to the board and claimed.

Ware might have done better not to play a heart at trick eight. If instead he led a club from dummy, East might have won and played a heart. That looks natural, but it endplays West in hearts on either that trick or the next. Again, the ruff-and-discard is the necessary defense.