ACES ON BRIDGE

It is never a good idea to criticize your opponents’ methods to their faces; behind their backs is another matter. If you make the mistake of commenting unfavorably, then you slip up in the play, they won’t forgive and forget — as today’s deal shows.

South asked about the four-diamond call and feigned disbelief that it was natural rather than a heart raise. But he bid four spades anyway, against which West cashed his singleton diamond ace before switching to a heart.

Declarer won, drew trumps in two rounds, cashed his other top heart and led a low club toward the dummy. The bidding had marked West with the club ace, and declarer had planned to continue the attack on clubs if West followed low. In that case, declarer would have taken the queen and would then have covered East’s jack or ducked the nine on the next round. Then he would have set up the

13th club for the discard he needed.

But West saw the danger and cunningly put in the 10 on the first round of clubs. Now, whatever South tried, East was bound to gain the lead with a club and cash the diamond king for down one. Then West added salt to the wound by pointing out the winning line on the deal. Can you spot it?

Declarer must eliminate hearts and throw West in with his spade queen! (If West unblocks that card, declarer can endplay him with the trump four if he is careful.) Then West must lead clubs or yield a ruff-sluff, and the trick comes back with interest. ANSWER: You may not have a great hand, but you already denied any real values when you bid only three spades at your first turn. That said, do you trust your partner enough to play him for the slam-try he has already shown? If you do, then I think you must bid more than four spades now. Inventing a four-heart cue-bid or jumping to five spades might be best now.

BOBBY WOLFF