ACES ON BRIDGE

“...Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one’s own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind.”

-- Joseph Heller

Today’s deal comes from a pairs game at my local club. I was the beneficiary of some inexact defense, though at the time it wasn’t entirely obvious to me who had dropped the ball. In retrospect, though, I think the answer is clear. What do you think?

At my table, I was South in three no-trump, and West elected to lead a low spade -- a small heart might have worked better, I admit. East took the spade two with the ace and continued with the spade jack. I did my best to cover this in normal tempo, and West could not see anything better to do than win and play back a spade.

I cashed my nine tricks without indicating my relief at this turn of events. Of course, the defenders had failed to cash their diamond winners -- two spades and three diamond tricks making five. Who do you think was at fault?

When the spade two was led, East should have assumed that his partner had one of the missing high spades. So while taking one top diamond might start to establish the suit for declarer, it could hardly be fatal.

Therefore, East should cash the diamond king at trick two before returning the spade jack. When West takes declarer’s spade queen with the ace, he should know to cash the diamond queen. A third diamond to East’s ace sees the defenders achieve their target without having to rely on one of them possessing the spade 10.

ANSWER: Your hand seems just a little too good to pass here, so if you are going to keep the auction open, what call is most flexible? I think doubling for takeout is the best way to get all suits into play. After all, how do you protect against partner having a doubleton club? We’ve all done worse -- I think.