ACES ON BRIDGE

“Example is always more efficacious than precept.” — Samuel Johnson

Here is a scintillating Scissors Coup to conclude this week's theme of preventing ruffs.

West's two-no-trump opening shows a preempt in a minor. North passes for now, allowing East to bid three clubs, pass or correct. North now doubles for takeout, and although East raises diamonds, South's fourheart call ends the auction.

West leads the club king, a good shot as the cards lie. Declarer has only two top losers but will go down unless he is very astute. Say he wins the club ace and then plays the heart ace and another heart. East can win and return a club to his partner's queen, receiving a third-round ruff.

Playing West for some club length after East failed to jump to four clubs at his first turn, declarer should reason that West's lead is from the king-queen. Also, West is unlikely to have a singleton spade, or he surely would have led it. South must therefore duck the first trick and finesse on the second round. Even now, if he continues with the heart ace and another heart, East would underlead in diamonds to receive his club ruff.

However, given the auction, the lead and West's likely spade length, South can infer that he has at most one trump. So, after winning the second club, declarer should take the heart ace and spade king-queen, then play a spade to the ace.

Next, South plays the losing spade 10, throwing his diamond. East wins his spade jack but can no longer reach his partner. Declarer can eventually knock out the heart king and draw the last trump.

ANSWER: Bid two spades. With four-card support, a ruffing value and excellent controls, you could make a case for a jump raise, but that would significantly overstate your values. Partner will often make a move over two spades when he has the appropriate values. He knows about the fit, after all. There is much to be said for bidding your own cards, not partner's.