THE ACES ON BRIDGE

“Once you hear the details of victory, it is hard to distinguish it from a defeat.” -- Jean-Paul Sartre

When Netherlands played Poland in the European Championships last summer, the Poles snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in both rooms on this deal. They defended four spades by North in one room on a heart lead, letting declarer pitch a club loser immediately. Next, declarer cashed the top spades and gave up a club. West went in with the jack, then played queen and another spade, and declarer unblocked the spade jack to win the trump in hand.

Now North needed only to take the diamond finesse to bring home her game. But she led low to the ace and was down four for minus 200. A better defense would have been for West to win the club at trick five, then lead a heart to force dummy to ruff. Now declarer would have stood no chance.

In our featured room, the Dutch South, Meike Wortel, played five diamonds doubled. Had West led either of her side’s suits, she would have defeated the game, but she led a spade, interpreting her partner’s double of five diamonds as showing a spade void.

Wortel put up dummy’s 10, led a diamond to the jack, then cashed the ace. Next came a top spade followed by a heart to the ace and a heart ruff, a diamond to the queen and a second heart ruff.

Now she exited with a club. After taking two tricks there, whichever defender was on lead would be endplayed, East to give a ruff and discard, West to choose between that and leading into the spade tenace.