Aces on bridge

“And that there is no flaw or vacuum in the amount of the truth -- but that all is truth without exception.”

-- Walt Whitman

Two of the biggest truisms in the game are that second hand should “always” play low while third hand should “always” play high. Particularly if you’ve been listening to lecturers telling you how to preserve your honors, then here, when the defenders lead a spade against three no-trump, you know not to waste the spade jack at trick one. Right? Not exactly.

If neither opponent had bid, putting up the spade jack would probably be a very poor play; that is because you can ensure your side a spade trick by keeping your powder dry and preserving the spade jack and queen for the purposes they were intended, not throwing them away. Imagine West with A-9-7-6 of spades and you will see that rising with the jack might be the only way to go down in this hand!

But that is not so today; you do have opposition bidding, which tells you that West has most of the partnership’s high cards, and five or more spades. Here, if you play low from dummy, then when East inserts the nine, you score your spade queen at trick one but West will have four spades ready to cash when in with the diamond ace.

Instead, put up the spade jack and knock out the diamond ace. That way you preserve the spade honors in your hand and West cannot run the spades. Note that if East began with either a doubleton spade ace or king, you are dead in the water, whatever you do.

ANSWER: Did you work out that the double was Lightner, suggesting a void somewhere and asking you for an unusual lead? Well done: but did you also work out not to lead your lowest spade in case partner ruffs and tries to underlead his club honors, hoping to find you with a high club honor? Lead the spade six and you will avoid that particular accident.