ACES ON BRIDGE

My sentence is for open war: Of wiles More unexpert, I boast not.

— John Milton

Nothing would tempt me to open the North hand, but at the table, the player with those cards did not see it that way, and a poor game was reached.

West kicked off passively against four spades with the trump jack. Declarer had no immediately obvious way of disposing of his losing heart, as the club king was more likely on his left. South decided his best chance was to arrange an endplay against West. He therefore sought to eliminate the hearts without letting East on lead for a club switch.

Declarer won the trump lead in dummy and led a low heart. East played small, and so did South. Upon winning with the heart 10, West exited with a heart to the ace. Declarer crossed to the table with the trump eight, ruffed a heart, played another trump to the queen and ran the diamond 10 to West’s jack.

After cashing the diamond ace, West was caught between a rock and a hard place. A club continuation would float around to the queen, and declarer would then need only to ruff a diamond in dummy. West could place both red-suit queens with his partner, so South had to have the club queen. Therefore, West’s only chance was to concede a ruff-and-discard by leading a heart, hoping his partner had the diamond eight.

No such luck. Declarer ruffed in dummy, throwing his club loser, and finessed in diamonds to make his game.

Do you think West could have figured out to play the diamond ace and another diamond at trick three, to escape the endplay?

ANSWER: You do not have much in reserve for a two-level overcall, but you must not give up.Your extra shape and short spades demand that you protect, in an effort to buy the part-score. Double, and don’t worry too much about partner bidding three diamonds. He would have at least five of them for that bid, probably six. (A call of two no-trump by him would be a scramble here, not natural).