aceS on bridge

“I know enough of the world now to have almost lost the capacity of being much surprised by anything; but it is matter of some surprise to me, even now, that I can have been so easily thrown away at such an age.”

-- Charles Dickens

This week’s deals all come from past NEC tournaments. In today’s deal four spades looks like a decent spot unless the defenders lead a top club early, as you can play to establish the diamond queen for a club discard. Naturally, at the featured table in a match between Australia and a Chinese squad, the lead was the club king.

Both declarers fell from grace. The Australian declarer took the club lead, cashed a top spade, and played a heart. When a diamond came back, he had no chance to make.

The Chinese declarer won the opening lead and played a heart at once, which East won to play back a club (a diamond was necessary now). West did his best by winning and switching back to hearts, but declarer ruffed and led a club, and the 2-2 trump break meant he was home.

The board was played at eight tables in the quarterfinals of the main event, but only one declarer, Leon Jacobs of the Netherlands, made four spades by ducking the opening club lead. This might feel as if it risks undertricks, and indeed it does if the clubs split 4-1; but then you were never making your game whatever you did.

The point is that after declarer ducks the club, the defenders can’t continue clubs, or the diamond loser eventually goes away when clubs break 3-2. Even after a heart shift at trick two, followed by a diamond through from East, declarer sets up a diamond discard for the losing club.

ANSWER: You certainly have enough to drive to game, but your absence of aces should concern you in five clubs. Best is to bid three notrump now and not worry about the spades. If you bid five clubs, you will get a heart lead through your tenace. Now, unless partner has great heart shortage or an unexpected heart honor, you will probably be sunk at once.