Aces on bridge

“Both thou and I alike, my Bacchic urn, From clay are sprung, and must to clay return ...”

-- Richard Garnett

Today’s deal comes from the teams finals at the Asia Pacific Games last summer in Fukuoka, Japan. In one room South got to bid and rebid spades and was eventually doubled in two spades. When West led a heart, declarer won in hand and took an immediate diamond finesse to pitch the club loser, then played a trump to the nine, 10 and jack. Declarer ruffed the diamond return, ducked a trump, then left trumps alone, playing on the side-suits. He lost four spades and two clubs for down one and minus 200.

In one spade doubled, played in the other room, declarer plowed a different furrow. He won the heart lead, crossed to the diamond ace and heart queen to ruff two diamonds in hand, then exited with a club; West put up the king and returned a club. West could subsequently ruff a heart and lead a fourth diamond, ruffed by his partner with the spade ace, while declarer pitched his last club loser. In the four-card ending, East could lead a plain card while declarer had spade Q-10- 8-6 left in hand and West held K-J-7 of trumps and a diamond. West overruffed the spade eight with the jack and played his last diamond for East to ruff with the spade nine. This forced declarer to overruff, and now the spade K-7 took the last two tricks.

The maneuvers in the trump suit included five ruffs, an overruff and an uppercut -- all for no swing!

ANSWER: Your partner’s double is takeout, specifically suggesting either four spades or a moderate five-card suit together with enough high-card values to own the board. Because he rates to have 10plus HCP, you should jump to two spades, either to give your side a chance to get to game facing extras, or to try to take bidding space away from the opponents if it is their hand.