ACES ON BRIDGE

Adventure most unto itself The Soul condemned to be — Attended by a single Hound Its own identity.

— Emily Dickinson

Despite failing to qualify for the later stages of the 2005 Bermuda Bowl, the England open team managed to get one over on their opponents, USA2, during the round robin.

In the closed room, Colin Simpson declared three no-trump on a low club to the six, queen and ace. Some declarers might have ducked this trick, but Simpson won, and a second top club revealed the 4-1 split as East discarded the diamond seven. When Simpson played a low club from hand at trick three, East let go the spade jack. In with the club 10, West shifted to a low heart to East’s queen. Back came a heart to the ace, but then West returned to clubs and declarer had plus 430.

Against the same contract at the other table, Jason Hackett led a passive spade eight (consistent with second highest from three cards). Declarer won with the spade king and cashed a high club. When the queen fell, South stopped to consider. The longer he took to decide on his line of play, the clearer it became that he feared his opponents could win a club trick, then take four heart tricks to defeat the contract.

So declarer eventually cashed the club king-jack, hoping for clues. Finally, he decided to rely on a 3-3 division of the spade suit. He cashed the top spades and, having seen the break, gave up a club. By then, it was too late. In with the club 10, the defenders took the next four tricks with three hearts and a spade.

ANSWER: When partner makes a low-level takeout double, there is an emphasis on finding a fit in the unbid major(s). He may not have great support for diamonds, so the correct call is one spade, intending to follow up by bidding diamonds later, if the opponents compete in clubs, giving partner a choice of strains (and suggesting equal or longer diamonds).

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