ACES ON BRIDGE

Henceforth I ask not good fortune; I myself am good fortune. — Walt Whitman

Not every South would open four hearts here; some would prefer a call of three hearts. But with so much playing strength and little defense, four hearts is surely right. If South goes for a penalty, his opponents are likely to have a vulnerable game, and if the opponents decide to bid, South wants to leave them no space. It is much harder for them to proceed after an opening of four hearts than after three hearts.

Had East and West been allowed to bid without interference, they could have reached and perhaps made four spades, but the preempt shuts them out.

After a diamond lead to the ace and a diamond return, South wants to develop clubs without letting East in again for a spade switch. So he pitches his losing club on the second diamond.

This is an even exchange, but South gains by managing to keep East off lead in clubs. The maneuver is an avoidance play, after which declarer plans to ruff out the clubs and pitch two spades in case clubs divide evenly. He has just enough trump entries to survive a trump shift at trick three. Of course, if clubs do not break, he will fall back on the spade finesse.

A club shift by East at trick two would serve no better. Declarer wins with the ace and plays dummy’s diamond honor, throwing his own last club. He can then use dummy’s trump entries to ruff out the clubs and hopes to pitch two spades if he finds clubs dividing evenly. The best defense is to shift insouciantly to a low spade at trick two, forcing South to guess the suit. ?

ANSWER: You could pass, but partner might have a fair hand with spade length, which will cause him to pass three spades out when you have the values for game. Four hearts would be committal, so try double, keeping all strains in the picture. This is pushy, but a hand with short spades should stretch to act. That action would be even clearer in the balancing seat.