THE ACES ON BRIDGE

“Our dilemma is that we hate change and love it at the same time; what we really want is for things to remain the same but get better.” -- Sydney Harris .....................

In this deal from the 2013 U.S. trials, six clubs has to be played by South, or else a diamond lead through the ace-queen would be fatal. How would you play the slam on a heart lead?

You must avoid leading a spade to the king and ace, or else a diamond return will put you on the spot. Are you going to play for the diamond finesse or for spades to behave? Best is to win the lead in dummy and lead a low spade from the board toward your queen. If West wins the trick, you get to test spades before playing on diamonds. But if it is East with the spade ace, he is caught in a Morton’s Fork Coup.

East cannot fly up with his ace, or declarer can establish three discards for dummy’s diamonds on the top heart and two spades. So East ducks the spade, whereupon declarer wins the queen. Now he discards the spade loser on the hearts and is almost home. As the cards lie, he can simply draw trump and give up a diamond.

But it is best after pitching the spade loser to play the diamond queen from hand. If the defenders take this, you can unblock diamonds and draw trump. If the diamond queen is ducked, you take two top trumps from hand and claim if clubs split. If they don’t, you cash the diamond ace, draw trump, then give up a diamond for your 12th trick.