ACES ON BRIDGE

“Without courage we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.”

— Maya Angelou,

Today’s hand, reported by Brian Senior, won the Brazilian Best Junior Deal of the Year award. Joe Grue declared this spade game during the 2005 World Junior Team Championship against Canada.

There is an inescapable loser in each suit, so Vincent Demuy’s double as East gained two IMPs for his side, right? Wrong! In the other room, David Grainger was given no chance to make his four-spade contract when John Hurd led the club jack to Joel Wooldridge’s ace and back came the spade nine.

Grainger won the king, ruffed his club loser and played a second spade to the ace. Seeing that he had a spade to lose, he tried the diamond finesse and was one down for minus 50.

But at the featured table, Gavin Wolpert led a heart against four spades doubled and Demuy ducked it to Grue’s nine. To trick two, Grue led the spade jack from hand, trusting that Demuy’s double was based on short spades, so the spade queen had to be offside. Had Wolpert gone in with his queen, he could then have collected a heart ruff for down two, but he played low, not believing that anyone could play this way from Grue’s actual holding; and who could blame him? When the spade jack held the trick, Grue simply drew trump and conceded one trick in each side-suit; a wonderful plus 590 and 12 IMPs to USA1.

Does this deal prove anything? Maybe only that you should admire Grue’s imagination, and also, when you encounter him, remember that you cannot trust him further than you can throw him.

ANSWER: Rebid one no-trump. You could rebid two clubs, but you would not be delighted to hear a preference to two diamonds on your poor four-card suit. If partner passes one no-trump (or bids two diamonds now) you will be happy since you have promised so much less in diamonds by this route. If he rebids two spades, at least you have some quick tricks for him.