ACES ON BRIDGE

This week’s tournament deals all won awards. Jason and Justin Hackett were awarded the Romex Best Bid Hand of the Year prize at the invitational White House tournament.

East’s anti lead-directing overcall of one spade actually helped South out, both in the bidding and the play. Jason Hackett’s jump to five clubs was Exclusion Key-card Blackwood. He was willing to risk a five-level contract for the sake of accurately bidding a slam or grand slam. Justin Hackett showed two key-cards outside clubs without the heart queen, and Jason came again with six clubs, asking if his brother had anything extra. Justin did, and rightly offered seven diamonds. Playing in diamonds, he envisaged correctly that declarer would be able to cash his winners in the other suits before committing to a decision in hearts.

South won the spade in hand and played a low diamond to the queen, in case East had all the outstanding diamonds, then ruffed a club. He drew trump and crossed to the spade ace, played the club ace, then ruffed a club. Now, South consulted the East-West system card, and ascertained that East could have opened two spades to show five spades and a fourcard minor. Since he had not done so, he was likely to have at most three clubs to go with six spades and one trump. That left three hearts.

Jason Hackett duly led a low heart from hand, thrilled to see the 10 appear. He won the heart king and successfully finessed against East’s heart queen.

ANSWER: Lead the spade nine. Your hand has very little potential, so make the most of what you have, by trying for a spade ruff. Your heart jack could come in useful. Yes, your partner did not overcall in spades but this is still your best shot to establish tricks. Moreover, a good four-card suit opposite might actually be just what the doctor ordered.

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