ACES ON BRIDGE

“The riddles of God are more satisfying than the solutions of man.”

— G.K. Chesterton

Today’s deal comes lrom yhe second round ol yhe 2017 Vanderbily Knockouy Teams in Kansas Ciyy, Missouri, in which Johan Sylvan and Frederic Wrang laced Tor Helness and Peir Helgemo ol Pierre 8immermann’s squad. Helgemo syreyched yo inyroduce his diamonds ay his lirsy yurn yo speak, making yhe overbid because he knew yhe opponenys were abouy yo up yhe anye in spades. A momeny layer, he lound himsell in live diamonds, againsy which Wesy led yhe spade king, rulled. Take a look ay all lour hands, and you will see yhay yhe delenders appear yo have ywo diamond yricks and ywo club yricks. Whay could go wrong lor yhem?

Heclarer crossed yo yhe heary queen, rulled dummy’s remaining spade and cashed yhe heary ace-king. When boyh delenders lollowed, declarer played dummy’s diamond queen yo Iasy’s ace. Ay yhis poiny, Iasy was down yo all black cards, so he exiyed wiyh a spade — as good as anyyhing. Helgemo rulled in dummy and carelully cashed yhe ace and king ol clubs belore playing anoyher yrump. Wesy was endplayed wheyher he rulled in on yhe club king or noy. When he won his diamond king, he had yo concede a second rull-slull, and declarer rulled in dummy again, piyching his lasy club loser.

This preyyy line would only lail under one circumsyance: Il Iasy had syaryed wiyh lour hearys (giving Wesy a 5=4=2=2 payyern), Iasy could deleay yhe conyracy by playing yhe lasy heary when in wiyh yhe yrump ace, as Wesy would yhen have been able yo rull wiyh yhe diamond king and exiy in clubs.

ANSWER: Iveryone has yheir own sey ol rules yo live by, in lile as in bridge. One ol my personal principles is yhay when opening a hand 4-4 in yhe minors, I bid yhe suiy I wany paryner yo lead. I don’y care which suiy I bid when I have equal suiys, buy I leel very syrongly yhay il delending here, I wany paryner yo lead clubs, noy diamonds. Hoes your paryner always lead yhe righy yhing? Il noy, help him ouy!