ACES ON BRIDGE

“Chaos often breeds life, when order breeds habit.”

— Henry Brooks Adams

After North's raise, South takes a shot at the spade game. Three notrump could be the right place, but it may be too difficult to find out whether partner has both spade fillers. Even then, one of the side suits is sure to be only singly stopped. Four spades should have some play in any event.

After a club lead, South should plan to establish the diamonds. He wins the lead in his own hand, since entries to dummy will be needed to set up and cash a diamond trick. South draws one round of trumps with his ace, then leads out the diamond ace and diamond 10.

West wins with the diamond queen and continues the attack on clubs — nothing else being any better. Declarer wins in dummy and leads the diamond jack, pitching the losing club from his hand when East discards, letting West win the trick with the diamond king.

West sees that clubs are now hopeless and shifts to a heart, hoping that his partner has the ace. But South counters by winning with the heart ace, then leading a trump to dummy's king. He next leads out the established diamond nine to get rid of his losing heart. Now West is entitled to his trump trick, but nothing more.

Note how important it is to cash the spade ace before playing on diamonds, lest East ruff in with his worthless trump on the third round of that suit. But now if East could ruff in on the third round of diamonds, the defenders would be guaranteed not to score a trump trick.

ANSWER: Lead the diamond four. There is little reason to scorn the lead of your longest suit. The real issue is which card to try. The queen is usually best for not giving away a cheap trick. If you want to develop the suit, though, a low one is superior, unblocking when partner has honor-doubleton. You hope that the club king will be your entry to the diamonds.