ACES ON BRIDGE

“Optimists and pessimists die the same way. They just live differently. I prefer to live as an optimist.”

— Shimon Peres

What normally happens when each member of a partnership gets the bit between their teeth, each overbidding, on a deal where there are only 22 points between the two hands and a complete lack of fit? When you or I do it, we end with a minus score! It did not happen on this deal, reported from Australia.

North opened with a Precision one club, though many players would downgrade and open one diamond with just 16 points and a minor suit. South gave a negative response, but neither player felt like that was enough reason to stay short of game. The bidding continued onward and upward until four spades was reached on a 5-2 fit.

How would you play this contract when West leads the club 10? You must aim to score seven trump tricks and three side-suit winners. That means you should win the club ace, ruff a diamond and take the heart finesse. Is one finesse too much to ask for? I think not!

When the finesse wins, you cash the heart ace and cross-ruff two more diamonds in hand and two clubs in dummy. Eventually, you score your trump nine by ruffing a heart, and the spade ace becomes the 10th trick.

It was hardly an attractive lead to choose, but West could have beaten the contract by leading a trump. There is not much of a lesson from the deal, I admit, except perhaps that overbidding does sometimes pay off! On the other hand, maybe West could have inferred that declarer would be ruffing clubs in dummy.

ANSWER: Pass. You might not like it, but it is time to give up. Three clubs would force your side to game. You do not have such a terrible dummy for hearts, anyway, in that you hope to offer partner an ace and a ruff. That isn’t much, but you never promised him a rose garden.