ACES ON BRIDGE

“Soap and education are not as sudden as a massacre, but they are more deadly in the long run.”

-- Mark Twain

Should the deals that appear in this column feature regular plays that my readers ought to get right, or should they feature plays that are unusual in nature, so that the reader will congratulate himself if he does find the answer? Maybe then he can console himself with the thought that the solution was too artificial to be found at the table.

This hint may help the reader crack today’s hard nut. You play six spades on a top diamond lead and win in hand. If trumps are 4-0, you have no chance, but if trumps are 2-2, you have seven spade tricks and five plain-suit winners. Not surprisingly, therefore, the task today is to make the contract against a 3-1 trump break. After winning the first diamond, you cash the spade king. Both opponents follow with small trumps; what now?

You can cash the diamond king to throw a heart if you like, but that is an unnecessary risk. The best play is instead to try to set up clubs. However, the only way to make the hand by avoiding a defensive trump promotion is to lead the club four at once, rather than playing ace and another club.

East will win the first club and shift to the heart eight. Declarer rises with the king, and next cashes the spade queen, the club ace and then the spade ace. Now he ruffs a club, crosses to the heart ace and ruffs another club. The heart ruff is the entry to dummy’s established club nine.

ANSWER: Playing inverted minors, your three-diamond call was weak, suggesting 3 to 7 or so, and five-plus diamonds. Three hearts from your partner shows at least the values for a game-try, and in context, you now have enough to bid four clubs, showing values in that suit. You should not be ashamed of your hand, in context.