ACES ON BRIDGE

Today’s example of avoidance play requires thoughtful declarer play after West leads the heart seven against three notrump. South wins in hand with the king, leaving West in doubt about the location of the queen. Now declarer must develop an extra trick in diamonds while keeping East off lead, of course, for fear of the fatal heart continuation.

Declarer overtakes his club

10 in dummy and leads the diamond nine from the board, planning to let it run. When East covers, declarer wins with the ace, West unblocking the seven. Declarer then crosses to the club nine to advance the diamond eight.

East can cover, so South wins his king and exits with a diamond to West, who can do no better than exit passively in spades. Declarer takes the ace and crosses to dummy in clubs to score the 13th diamond. Note that if West unblocks the diamond queen, hoping that the six and five were switched, declarer can bring the diamonds in for four tricks! Declarer needed diamonds 3-3 and for West to win the defense’s diamond trick. He could succeed only if East had at most two out of the queen, jack, 10 and seven, assuming accurate defense.

Note that South should not release the club ace before crossing to dummy with the second club. That would be fatal if West had four clubs, as East could then play low on the second diamond. When declarer ducks the lead to West, that player plays the fourth club to scramble declarer’s communications.