Aces On Bridge

It is almost a cliche that when you have only eight tricks in a contract of three no-trump, you should play off your long suit. South used this advice to good effect on this deal. After North opened one diamond, East went out on a limb when he overcalled two clubs. Even at favorable vulnerability, space-consuming overcalls can be taken only so far. Rather than playing for penalties, South quite reasonably decided to try for game. When North repeated his diamonds, South advanced with two no-trump and was raised to game.

West started with the king and another club. East allowed declarer to win the second round with the queen, imagining he had three club tricks, the heart ace as a sure entry, and that he had diamonds under control.

South saw the prospects of success were small, as East surely held the heart ace for his overcall. His only chance lay in finding a way to exert pressure on East -- which required him to guard diamonds. That meant he must hold both five clubs and four diamonds.

Since South had no side entry to hand, it would be no good to him if East held the doubleton spade jack. So at trick three declarer boldly finessed the spade 10. When this held the trick, South could cash three more spades. On the last spade, East, who had already pitched his small heart, was forced to part with a winning club. So declarer could force out the heart ace, and East had only two winners to cash; contract made.

ANSWER: Your partner has real extras in terms of shape or high cards -- or both. Given that you would surely have acted on your first turn with a better hand, you can afford to cue-bid two diamonds now, planning perhaps to pass a minimum call in a major or a bid of three clubs by your partner. North can now jump with real extras in context for the auction thus far.

“Boldness, and again boldness, and always boldness!” -- Danton