THE ACES ON BRIDGE

“Sorrow knocked at my door, but I was afraid;

Ambition called to me, but I dreaded the chances.” -- Edgar Lee Masters .....................

The U.S. Bridge Federation is running its trials this week to select the team for the 2012 Olympiad Tournament. To mark the occasion, I shall be running a few deals from last year’s event, in which my team qualified for the Senior Bowl in Veldhoven, Netherlands

In today’s deal my partner, Dan Morse (East), opened one spade and I raised to two spades over the oneno-trump overcall, and played there. Against two spades, the defenders accurately led a heart, but ducked their diamond ace. So Dan was able to get a heart loser away on the club ace and hold his losers to two trumps and one in each red suit, for plus 140.

In the other room, the auction went as shown, with Arnie Fisher competing over two spades with two no-trump, and Fred Hamilton moving on to game. The defenders led a spade to the ace and returned the suit. Hamilton knocked out the heart ace, won the third spade and led the club king from hand. Once he had guessed clubs, the defenders had just one trick in each suit, and Hamilton had nine tricks.

Did you notice the defenders’ slip? At trick one East must put in the spade jack, then win the heart ace to return a low spade. Now West will win his club ace and play the third spade to East, who can cash out for down one. (And had East ducked the heart ace smoothly, might declarer have -- fatally -- switched his attention to clubs?)