ACES ON BRIDGE

“Most of the presidential candidates’ economic packages involve “tax breaks,” which is when the government, amid great fanfare, generously decides not to take quite so much of your income. In other words, these candidates are trying to buy your votes with your own money.”

— Dave Barry

This week of themed deals focuses on trick-one plays. They demonstrate how the first play we make from dummy is often vital.

On this deal, South ends at the helm in three no-trump after West has overcalled one spade. It is much more sensible for him to rebid two no-trump rather than raise diamonds. West leads the fourth-highest spade six, and declarer must play the king, retaining his queen as a stopper. From then on, he intends to keep East, the defender who can continue spades profitably, out of the lead.

When the spade king holds, declarer goes after diamonds, West winning the third round before shifting to a heart. Declarer wins the heart jack and runs off his nine tricks, eventually exiting with a club. West knows to unblock the queen, so East can gain the lead for a spade through and save the overtricks.

If West shifts to a club upon scoring the diamond ace, declarer rises with the ace, throws two clubs on the diamonds, then takes a heart finesse into the safe West hand.

Note what happens if declarer makes the false economy play of low from dummy to win the spade queen in hand (or if he ducks the first trick). The defenders can easily arrange to cash out four spade tricks after winning the diamond ace. By contrast, if your spade holding in hand were Q-10-x, you would have to play low from dummy at trick one to ensure that you had a double spade stopper.

ANSWER: Lead the diamond 10. After opening with a weak call, West has shown a good hand for hearts with a club control, suggesting declarer is likely to have surplus forces at his command. If so, you must adopt an active defense, aiming to set up tricks in the unbid suit before declarer discards his diamond losers on dummy’s spades.