ACES ON BRIDGE

Danny Miles reported this deal from the opening round of the Spingold Knockout Teams in Las Vegas last summer, where Brad Bart and Bob Todd were the defenders. Take the West seat where Bart sat, and see if you can match his line of defense.

North’s redouble showed spades, and South was unwilling to let West steal the pot in diamonds thereafter, so he competed in hearts until he was doubled — which came at the four level.

As West, you lead the diamond king, and partner’s spot-card (the diamond three, upside-down) leaves you in doubt as to what to do next. Make your plan before reading on.

If you try to cash the second diamond, declarer ruffs, cashes one trump, and leads a spade, putting you in a Morton’s Fork, where you have only losing options. If you put in the queen, South wins and can either play the diamond queen or take the trump finesse. On winning the spade ace, you will have to open up clubs for declarer, letting him put in the eight and hold the club losers to one.

Bart found the winning defense. He played declarer for precisely two spades and shifted to the spade queen. Declarer won in dummy and did well to take the trump finesse, then played a second spade. However, Bart now won his spade ace and played the diamond ace. Although declarer could ruff, he was locked in hand. The defenders collected two club tricks at the end for down one.

ANSWER: Bid three no-trump. You have to gamble, and this is where the money is if you guess right. With any luck, the diamonds will run, but even if they do not, the likely spade lead may give you time to establish them. Five diamonds is a long way off, since it will surely need some club fillers from partner.

“When we examine the opinions of men, we find that nothing is more uncommon than common sense.”

— Baron d’Holbach