ACES ON BRIDGE

“Mathematics is the supreme judge; from its decisions there is no appeal.”

-- Tobias Dantzig

In today’s auction, after the Jacoby two-no-trump trump raise, South can show a singleton club. After this, an exchange of cuebids lets South use key-card and drive to slam.

South’s first chance to make the slam is to find the trump finesse working. But this attempt fails when he wins the club ace in dummy at trick one and loses a trick to the heart king. His only hope now hinges on locating the diamond queen.

After ruffing the second club, there is no need to play on diamonds early. Instead, South carefully tackles the black suits first. He takes the spade ace at trick four, crosses to the spade king to ruff a spade high, then leads a second trump to dummy to ruff a second club.

After eight tricks, he knows that West started with only two spades and only two hearts. It is clear, therefore, that West started with a total of nine cards in clubs and diamonds. West’s opening lead was the club three, and he later led back the two, suggesting a five-card suit. But whether West is being honest or not, East has at least three clubs, so West cannot hold more than six.

If only five of West’s cards are clubs, he surely held four diamonds to begin with. If West had six clubs, he has three diamonds. Either way, West is longer in diamonds than East.

South, therefore, cashes the diamond ace to take out what he presumes to be East’s remaining singleton diamond. He can then confidently finesse through West for the diamond queen.

ANSWER:

Where partner is known to have real length (as opposed to when he opens with a minor), you need a good reason to lead something else. You do not have that reason today -- no other suit looks better than a gamble. Lead your spade, and let declarer open up the other suits.