ACES ON BRIDGE

When West opened one diamond, it was passed around to South, who upgraded his spot-cards and stretched to balance with two no-trump to show a balanced 19-20. North also took an aggressive position by raising. Still, despite North-South having just a combined 23-count, game had decent play.

Declarer won the spade king lead and went after hearts while his communications were still open. West took the heart king and cashed the spade jack, East following upward. Placing a spade stopper with South, West could count eight tricks for declarer once the spade queen was knocked out. As South was also likely to have diamonds stopped, the ninth trick could easily come from an endplay.

Had West defended passively, by exiting with a heart, declarer could set up his spade winner, then strip all of

West’s cards except diamonds, and next lead that suit from dummy. Because of his diamond nine, declarer would be able to duck the lead to West for a diamond return into his tenace.

So, West attacked dummy’s entry before South could cash the spades. He shifted to the club 10, taken by the king. Declarer unblocked his heart honors and advanced the spade eight. However, West took the queen and played another club to dummy’s ace. Declarer could throw a diamond on the heart jack, but then had to tackle diamonds. He played to his nine, but West won the diamond jack and exited safely with a spade. The diamond king scored the setting trick.

ANSWER: Bid two diamonds. A one-no-trump advance should show just a little more in the way of high cards here. Besides, with only one quick stopper in the unbid suit and nothing in your own suit, which partner is probably short in, one no-trump will not play well.Two diamonds should be the right partscore and may serve to slow partner down as well as anything.

Women and music should never be dated.

— Oliver Goldsmith

BID WITH THE ACES