Aces on bridge

“Pleasure is labor too, and tires as much.”

-- William Cowper

This excellent card-play problem arose during the second round of the Vanderbilt Knockout Teams from Louisville last spring. It’s a two-parter: Consider it first in six clubs by North and then the actual problem of six clubs by South.

In six clubs by North on a trump lead, you draw trump, pitching a spade from hand. Now, perhaps the best thing to do is strip off four rounds of hearts, then run the diamond jack to endplay East, unless he began with five hearts. Almost as good at trick four is to run the diamond jack to East’s queen. Even if East could exit with a heart and avoid setting up the suit for you, you can cash the ace and ruff a diamond in dummy. If the remaining high diamond does not appear, you fall back on the spade finesse.

At the table, in six clubs by South, you get the lead of the diamond four. You duck, and East wins the king. Back comes a trump, and you draw three rounds, then cash the three top hearts. If the heart J-9 falls, it’s all over. When East shows out on the third heart, you pitch the diamond 10 and play the diamond ace, West following with the two, East with the three. When you lead the diamond nine from dummy, East follows with the six. Who has the queen? Surely East. If West has led the diamond four from Q-4-2, he deserves to beat you!

ANSWER: Your partner has four hearts in a balanced minimum. (If he has extra shape, he will be at the bottom end of this range.) So, though your side appears to have a decent double fit and the spade finesse rates to be working if necessary, slam is a long way off. Just bid four hearts; even if partner has the club ace and the missing red high honors, you’ll probably need a decent break in at least one red suit.