ACES ON BRIDGE

Take the South hand for today’s problem. After you double and then bid your major, your partner sagely raises three spades to four. How should you play your game on repeated heart leads?

You cannot afford to draw trumps until you have set up diamonds; otherwise, you would have no protection against a 4-2 trump break. You could discard a club at trick two and then ruff the third heart, draw trumps and finesse diamonds into West, hoping that West is exhausted of hearts even if he wins the trick. However, the auction has suggested hearts are 4-4. If that is the case, West will have a heart to cash if you draw trumps and take a losing diamond finesse. It is far better to work on your side suit before drawing trumps. Ruff the second heart and cross to the diamond king. A diamond finesse would be dangerous now because West might win and give East a diamond ruff. Instead, you should play a diamond to the ace, followed by a third round of diamonds. What can West do now?

If he makes the obvious continuation of a third round of hearts, you will ruff two diamond winners with the spade queen and spade 10. That will give you three top cards in the side suits, along with seven trump tricks. If instead West switches to a trump, you will simply draw trumps and enjoy the last two diamonds. You will make five trumps, four diamonds and the club ace.

It may seem like a simple hand, but I suspect that only a good player would emerge with 10 tricks.

“Conception, my boy, fundamental brainwork, is what makes the difference in all art.”

— Dante Gabriel Rossetti

ANSWER: Bid three spades. It is important to reach the three-level as quickly as possible on deals of this sort, when it is clearly the opponents’ hand. It will be harder for East-West to get together over three spades than it would be over two spades. You are unlikely to be caught for a penalty, given your trump honors.