ACES ON BRIDGE

Since the world championship is taking place this week in China, we’ll be looking at last year’s event all week. Today’s deal is from the quarterfinals of the 2018 McConnell Cup.

When the Russian North-South climbed to the perilous contract of five hearts, it provided the Swedish East-West a fine chance for deception, which they duly took. (In the other room, their teammates Marion Michielsen and Meike Wortel had stopped safely in four hearts.)

West, Ida Groenkvist, started her campaign of deception by leading a diamond rather than the unbid suit, clubs. Had she led a club, declarer would have put in the jack, and the hand would have been over.

After the lead of the diamond six to the queen, king and ruff, Victoria Gromova, the declarer, led a low trump toward the jack — an interesting choice and as good as anything as the cards lay that day.

Groenkvist ducked, so declarer came back to hand with the club king and cashed the heart ace, dropping the 10. Next, she took a spade finesse, and Cecilia Rimstedt, East, ducked very smoothly. Declarer advanced the heart nine; West won and played back a club. Declarer rose with the ace, pitched her losing club on the diamond ace, then played the spade ace and another spade, expecting West to win, whereupon South would be able to claim the balance. But instead it was East who took the third spade, and she then gave her partner a spade ruff for down one. Very nicely done.

ANSWER: You do not yet know where you want to play the hand, five diamonds or three no-trump. It would therefore be premature to raise partner’s second suit. I would temporize with three hearts and pass three no-trump if partner bids it. In all auctions of this sort, where opener jump shifts, give priority to supporting opener’s first-bid suit if you can.