ACES ON BRIDGE

defenders’ communications in clubs.

At this point declarer led a diamond to dummy’s king. He continued with the heart 10 — and the critical moment of the deal had been reached. Danish International Jens Auken described this sort of moment as the “kill point.”

When West ducked the heart 10 smoothly, it gave the impression that East had the ace and queen, or at the very least the trump queen. Falling for the bait, declarer repeated the heart finesse. Now West emerged from the bushes, winning this trick, then cashing his master heart. Having denuded dummy of hearts, West took out South’s last trump by playing a third round of clubs. The defenders still held the spade ace as their entry to allow them to run the clubs on defense. “Measure your mind’s height by the shade it casts!”

— Robert Browning

Ian McCance’s “The Setting

Trick,” published by Master Point

Press, offers a range of problems.

You will be able to pat yourself on the back for solving any of the problems in the book. If you fail a challenge, you will be even keener to redeem yourself on the next.

Today’s deal comes from the book, but I have edited a couple ANSWER: At this point in the of spots to make the point a little auction, you can be fairly sure sharper. partner will have only four spades

Against three hearts, West led if he has a dead minimum or is the club four, and South’s king fell unsuitable for competing further. under East’s ace. East could see Since he is clearly not long in that attacking declarer’s trump hearts, the opponents’ club fit is holding might pay dividends as likely an eight-card one (or East long as South had started with might have gone back to hearts). just five trumps. East therefore Your honors look more suitable returned a club at trick two, which for offense than defense, so I South ruffed, as West unblocked would risk a call of three diamonds the club 10 on this trick to ease the now.