ACES ON BRIDGE

Today’s deal from last year’s Spring North American Bridge Championships in Reno, Nev., sees South toiling in two spades on a diamond lead from West. When East covers West’s diamond with the 10 to preserve the defenders’ communications, South must win the diamond king. What next?

South decided to take his side winners before the rats got to them, so he finessed the club queen, cashed the ace, and exited with a second diamond. East cashed his two diamonds, West discarding the heart five.

Now, instead of exiting in spades (perhaps indicated, since declarer had not gone after spades himself), East played a heart, which was ducked to West’s king. West got out with a top club, and East ruffed in with the spade eight. South could overruff and lead the spade six, which West won to play the fourth club. When declarer ruffed again, he had taken five of the first nine tricks, and now had to guess West’s original shape to make his contract.

If West had begun with

4-3-2-4 shape, it would have been correct to lead the ace and a second heart. West would have had to ruff his partner’s winner and lead into South’s tenace in trumps. But if West is down to two cards in each major, South must play the spade ace and another spade now. West will have to win and break hearts for declarer. Which is the better line?

Play for the latter position. West would have exited in hearts, rather than leading the fourth club, if he had begun with a doubleton heart.That play would have assured him an additional trump trick.

ANSWER: One school of thought here wants to keep the auction open in case your side can make game. (This seems unlikely to me.) That school gives false preference to two spades, hoping that a 5-2 fit may play better than a possible 4-3 fit. The second school believes that the weak spade doubleton argues for passing and hoping partner has five hearts or needs spade ruffs in dummy. Put me narrowly in that camp.