ACES ON BRIDGE

Today’s deal was nicely played by Victor Goldberg for the Scottish seniors in the 2001 European Championships. It involved the use of a second suit as “substitute” trump. Victor’s partner, Irving Gordon, balanced over four hearts with a call of four no-trump for the minors. Goldberg bid five diamonds, doubled by West. Sacrificing in five hearts would have worked better as the cards lay, but that was hard to predict. West led a heart, which was ruffed in dummy, and a diamond to the ace revealed the 5-0 trump break. At the other table, after identical bidding and initial plays, declarer led a spade at trick three. West took his ace to play another heart, and declarer lost control. Goldberg, however, continued with the club 10, another club to the jack, then the club ace, on which he discarded his second heart. Next came the spade king, which West ducked, to deprive declarer of an entry to hand. When another club was played from dummy, West ruffed, reducing his trump length to that of dummy, but he then faced a nowin position. If he played a heart, declarer would discard the spade nine, ruff in hand, lead a diamond to the jack, cash the king, then play clubs. West would make just one more trump trick. So West cashed the spade ace before playing a heart. Declarer ruffed low in hand then led the diamond 10. West was obliged to duck, but now South remained in hand. He ran spades, discarding clubs from dummy, and had the rest whatever West did. ANSWER: Bid five no-trump. These days, this call is typically used not as a grand slam try, but as a two-suited hand asking partner to pick a minor. With spades and a minor, you would probably cue-bid instead. Obviously, also, your clubs should be your longest suit, so you can expect your partner to pick clubs with three or more cards in that suit.