ACES ON BRIDGE

Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

— Isaiah 7:15

In this, the last of our deals on this theme, a defender can counter declarer’s accurate play so as to present him with an almost irresistible losing option.

West wisely declines to overcall one spade. North is free to respond one notrump, and South makes the practical rebid of four hearts.

West leads the heart jack, and a familiar problem faces declarer. He has nine tricks once the spade king is knocked out, and the diamond ace will provide another, if only he can reach it. Leading a low spade to the queen succeeds if the king is onside, but if East covers the queen with the king and returns a trump, declarer will be stuck in his hand.

South has read the textbooks and knows the solution — to advance the spade jack.

If a defender takes the king, the spade queen will provide access to the diamond ace. If the spade jack holds, declarer can freely ruff a spade in dummy. Unless spades are 5-2, this line is foolproof.

However, West has been around the block a few times and eyes this spade jack with suspicion, wondering why declarer would play this way. South must be trying to create an entry to the dummy. West must smoothly withhold his king; then declarer will play small from dummy rather than overtake in an attempt to reach the diamond winner. In so doing, declarer loses his cast-iron contract. Unluckily for South, East overruffs the third spade, and the contract can no longer be made.

ANSWER: Only a four-diamond splinter bid does justice to this hand. You might even consider making a further move if partner signs off, since as little as king-fifth in spades opposite you would be enough to make a fair slam. The five-level may not be safe, but you may nonetheless have to risk it.