ACES ON BRIDGE

An exception is nothing else than a rule that applies exceptionally.

— Fausto Cercignani

This week’s deals are based on unusual third-hand plays against no-trump, specifically when it is right to break the “third hand high” rule and withhold an honor.

Today, once West elects to attack in a major, not only does his stronger holding offer more trick-taking potential, but a spade lead is just as safe as a heart from jack-fourth. When declarer plays low from dummy, most Easts would probably take their ace and return the suit, but by so doing they would let the contract through! If he were fully awake, South would unblock the queen, creating an entry to dummy for the club finesse. He can eventually come to a ninth trick by setting up a diamond trick.

East can infer the danger of letting declarer reach dummy, looking at his vulnerable club king. He should strive to deny declarer that entry by inserting the spade nine at trick one. This may lose a trick when declarer has

K-10-x in spades, but with that holding South probably would have tried the jack from dummy already. And since

South can unblock the king under the ace, the cost might only be an overtrick. Playing the spade nine is crucial when declarer has either queen-third or king-third, and it can hardly lose since West has no more than four spade and surely holds nothing as strong as the king-queen.

On winning the spade queen, declarer might as well lay down the club ace, but nothing works. The defense will score three spades, a diamond and a club trick.

ANSWER: Lead the spade queen. To justify bidding game with so few high-cards, one of your opponents must have a long minor they are hoping to run. As such, there is a strong chance that declarer has eight running tricks; if you give him another, namely with the heart king, he will make his doubled game. You had better lead partner’s suit, hoping to set up his suit or to let him win and shift to hearts.