aces on bridge

“Get up, stand up: Stand up for your rights!

Get up, stand up: Don’t give up the fight!”

— Bob Marley and Peter Tosh

The player with the South cards was looking forward to opening two no-trump when his reverie was interrupted by East’s pre-emptive two hearts. At this point, South’s options were a clumsy leap to three no-trump, which might miss a spade fit, or the more delicate approach that he followed at the table, of doubling and converting his partner’s constructive three-club call to three notrump.

(Many people play that calls of three of a minor are constructive here, since they use a bid of two no-trump as Lebensohl, a puppet to three clubs if the overcaller does not have significant extras.)

West led the heart five, and South, ever suspicious, ducked the first heart, won the next as West reluctantly pitched a spade, and then had to decide how to play the rest of the hand. A reasonable approach would be to play for 3-3 clubs, but if you cash the top clubs, cross to the diamond ace and test clubs, you will almost be out of chances if they do not break.

South inferred from West’s reluctance to part with a spade that he had started with no more than four cards in that suit and a singleton heart, so a distribution of 4-1-4-4 seemed likely. Thus, South made a very thoughtful play when he cashed the club king and overtook the queen with the ace. When the 10 dropped, he could lead the club nine and establish four tricks in clubs to go with his five plain-suit winners, making nine in all.

ANSWER: This is easier if you play one no-trump to be non-forcing, so that the two-club call virtually guarantees four or more clubs. Regardless, I’d bid two spades to show a good raise to three clubs. The aces and fifth trump make this hand worth an aggressive action.