ACES ON BRIDGE

“The price of wisdom is above rubies.”

— Job 28:18

After a straightforward auction to three no-trump, South should count his winners when West leads the spade four. With at least six tricks coming from hearts and clubs and at least one trick in each of spades and diamonds, he seems to be in good shape.

At trick one, South captures East’s jack with his queen. Since West appears to have led from the A-10, it would be very dangerous to allow East to come on lead. East would then be in position to lead a spade through South’s king, letting West run spades and possibly defeat the game.

There is no such danger in letting West on lead. If West leads spades again, South can establish his ninth trick from the spade king. To put it another way, East is the dangerous opponent and West if the safe hand. If possible, South must develop his tricks while keeping East out of the lead.

Declarer begins by leading a heart to dummy’s king. If hearts break, declarer will have nine tricks without any need for further work — but that can wait. Declarer now goes after diamonds by running the diamond eight through East. If East has both top honors, he cannot be kept off lead; but in virtually every other scenario, it may be possible to develop diamonds while keeping East off play.

The diamond eight loses to the nine, and South wins the club return, then leads a heart to dummy and leads another diamond, covering East’s card. Declarer can then run the diamonds and cash out for nine tricks.

ANSWER: This hand appears to be a simple raise of diamonds, but is that call forcing or invitational? For simplicity’s sake, I suggest that after a reverse, responder’s raise of either of opener’s suits be played as forcing. This in turn means that weak hands must do something else. You can play two no-trump as artificial and weak, or you can play the cheaper of fourth suit and two no-trump as weak; both methods work.