ACES ON BRIDGE

“Our grand business undoubtedly is, not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.”

— Thomas Carlyle

West faces a difficult opening lead problem on this deal. The mantra is to prefer major-suit leads against auctions of this type, when your left-hand opponent has not used Stayman, but it is a different matter when one holds a five-card suit. So West’s actual choice of a club can hardly be criticized.

The club opening grants declarer a seventh top trick, and the diamond suit should provide at least two more. Declarer would prefer to take a diamond finesse against East, so that a heart switch will not come through the king, but dummy is not blessed with entries. Moreover, to cross to the diamond ace would cut declarer off from the long diamonds in dummy.

Seeking more entries to dummy, declarer should put up the club seven at trick one. This looks to be safe, as West’s fourth-highest lead of the club six suggests that he has the queen, 10 and eight. When the club seven holds, declarer can run the diamond jack (or lead low to the nine) at trick two as an avoidance play against East. South does not mind if West produces the diamond queen, as declarer will be protected from a heart shift and will come to at least nine tricks by way of two spades, four diamonds and three clubs.

When the diamond jack holds, declarer continues with another diamond to the king, unblocking the suit, and he has 10 winners when West follows. He can run all his tricks, pitching a spade and a club from hand, and might even take 11 if he reads the ending.

ANSWER: Jump to three notrump. You do not have enough space to show a specific balanced range without committing to game. Doubling first would not help you, since your partner would probably bid a Lebensohl two no-trump, showing a weak hand. Even though you could raise to game, it would then wrongside your heart suit in that contract. The best bid is three no-trump to protect your tenaces.