ACES ON BRIDGE

Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

— Proverbs 20:17

Today’s deal was played in the semifinals of the Bermuda Bowl between Netherlands and Norway. Each declarer received a heart lead; both Easts inserted the queen, losing to the king.

Geir Helgemo decided to try to sneak his ninth trick rather than hope for the spade queen to drop or something else to happen. If the ruse were to work, a club had to be led immediately, and it was desirable to lead a club through the hand with only four hearts, hoping he had the club ace and ducked it, not knowing how many hearts were cashing. So he crossed to the spade ace and played a club from dummy. Alas for him, West captured declarer’s king and ran the hearts for one down.

In the other room, Joris van Lankveld led a club from his hand at trick two, reasoning that West might not know where the hear t ace was.

West played low, allowing dummy’s queen to score for South’s ninth trick. The auction had been a bit slower here, suggesting that South’s heart stopper was more tenuous. Maybe West should have gotten it right, but East could have helped by winning the first trick with the ace and returning the queen.

Strangely, though, the contract is cold on accurate play. Declarer runs his diamonds to extract four discards from West. He can afford a spade and two clubs, but the last one forces West to unguard spades, pitch the club ace or discard a heart, in which case South gives up a club to establish his ninth trick.

ANSWER: When non-vulnerable, I might try a one-heart overcall to direct the lead. It is likely that West will declare a spade contract, and I would prefer that partner lead a heart, not a club. I would not be so keen to act facing an unpassed partner, though, since he might take me seriously. With a partner who has no sense of humor, I would hold my tongue today.