ACES ON BRIDGE

Continuing our theme of fourth-suit forcing, North uses it to probe for three no-trump here. South’s three-heart call is consistent with a stopper rather than a suit, trying to find the right game, and North’s three spades acts as a last try for three no-trump, often based on a partial spade stopper. South’s queen-doubleton is more than adequate protection now. Indeed, even with three small spades, he might chance three no-trump.

West leads the spade four to East’s ace, and back comes the spade nine, West ducking the spade queen. West should conceal the spade three, hoping to make it look as if the suit is splitting 4-4, but an astute declarer will know better. East’s spade nine is consistent only with an original two- or threecard suit.

Declarer cannot afford to lose the lead in another suit, so it seems logical to try to bring the clubs in without loss. Unusally, though, South has a choice of mutually exclusive plays.

The only problem comes when clubs split 4-0. Cashing the ace picks up four cards with West, while starting with the queen allows for East holding the length. Declarer might as well start with a diamond to the ace, in case anything interesting happens, but both defenders follow small, and the club decision cannot be delayed further since dummy’s diamond king may be needed as a reentry.

If West has long spades, East is surely favored to hold the club length. So declarer leads out the club queen and then finesses clubs through East. He can reenter dummy in diamonds to pick up the clubs.

ANSWER: The higher the level, the less well-defined a negative double becomes. A raise to three clubs would only be competitive here, and you could lose a heart fit. It is best to double, intending to pass a simple rebid from partner. You may end up in a 4-3 spade fit, but a club raise might easily do the same thing.

“Virtue can only flourish amongst equals.”

— Mary Wollstonecraft