ACES ON BRIDGE

“The moving finger writes; and having writ,

Moves on: nor all thy piety nor wit

Shall lure it back to cancel half a line,

Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”

— Omar Khayyam

South had the task of bringing home a tricky three no-trump on this hand.

The textbooks argue that a game reached via an invitational sequence should perhaps attract a passive lead, for declarer will have little to spare. As such, many would lead a diamond from the West hand, as opposed to opening one of the rounded suits. However, this West was a staunch believer in leading from his longest and strongest, so he tabled the heart jack. I can’t say I blame him. Declarer covered with the heart queen — to ensure three tricks from that suit if East had the king — and was surprised to see it hold. He then worked on clubs, leading one to the ace and another to the jack. The club king came next, East throwing an “idle fifth” spade as South shed a heart.

With no surefire entry to the long club on table, declarer abandoned that suit in favor of spades, hoping East had both honors. After all, East had proclaimed length there with his discard, and it looked for all the world that he was 5=2=4=2. When declarer called for a spade from dummy, East did the best he could by splitting his honors. That did him no good, though. Declarer won and led a diamond to the queen and ace. East returned a heart, declarer bounding up with the ace in order to cash all the top diamonds.

When declarer exited with the diamond eight, East had to win and return a spade, establishing declarer’s spade jack as the game-going trick.

ANSWER: When non-vulnerable, consider getting involved with your concentrated two-suiter. You might compete the part-score effectively or even reach a game. This is even more attractive if you have a way to show spades and another suit. In balancing seat, acting is clear-cut since otherwise partner is sure to lead a club or heart against no-trump. Shape, not high cards, should determine whether you act here.