aces on bridge

“Use harms and even destroys beauty. The noblest function of an object is to be contemplated.”

— Miguel de Unamuno

In the last session of the Pairs Final from the Gold Coast tournament last year, both Lilley-Nagy and Howard-Nunn did well here in their contracts of two hearts.

As North on the auction shown, David Lilley judged his partner would not have five spades, but might have five hearts, so he let his partner play two hearts. Justin Howard, as South, overcalled two hearts over East’s initial onespade response and played there.

Zolly Nagy won the top club lead, led a spade to the ace and played a low heart from hand. West flew up with the ace to play the club queen, crashing the jack, then gave his partner a club ruff. When East returned a spade for his partner to ruff, that was the fourth defensive trick, but the heart king was their last trick.

Howard received a far tougher defense. He won the spade lead in hand and led a second spade. West discarded a diamond, so declarer won the king and played a third spade.

East took the queen (West pitching another diamond), and the defenders now played three rounds of trumps. When Howard drew the last trump, West had to pitch a club. When he let go a small one, Howard led a club up and ducked West’s queen.

West had to exit with a low club, and Howard won the ace and played a third club, forcing West to win and lead diamonds. Whichever diamond he played, Howard had the rest, since dummy’s club was good.

On the last trump, West had to find the discard of a club honor to avoid the endplay.

ANSWER: You may feel like you are being stolen from, but you just do not have the shape to double for takeout. You must pass as smoothly as possible, relying on your partner to re-open with short hearts or real shape of his own. As a passed hand, he should bid in either scenario, regardless of whether he is close to an opening bid here.