ACES ON BRIDGE
“In war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.”
— Sun Tzu .....................
West’s jump-rebid of three spades does not keep North-South out of game, but it does draw a road map for declarer. West’s rebid is most likely based on a seven-card suit, given that he has so few high-card values. Declarer therefore wins the first trick and could be forgiven for thinking no further than drawing trumps, by calling for the heart king at trick two. However, West would win and continue with two more rounds of spades. Declarer could ruff the third round high, but that would establish a trump trick for East to go with a slow club winner.
Declarer could counter by ducking the first trump entirely, but that would not look so clever if trumps had been 2-2 all along.
West must hold the missing ace for his strong bidding, along with the club king, so declarer would really like to lead the first trump from the South hand. If West goes in with the trump ace, declarer can play low from the table, sparing dummy’s high trumps. So declarer should cross to the club ace, rejecting the doomed finesse, to lead a heart up. West’s heart ace beats thin air, and he continues with two rounds of spades, ruffed high. Declarer then draws trumps before knocking out the club king for his contract. It looks plausible to play a club to the jack at the second trick. If South did that, West could win and lead two more rounds of spades, ruffed high, and later take the heart ace and play a fourth spade, finally promoting East’s heart 10 to take the setting trick.
ANSWER: A call of three hearts would be a significant underbid. You could try three no-trump, but that will work badly if partner has short clubs. A takeout double may seem off-center with only a doubleton in spades, but you intend to pull partner’s three-spade bid to three no-trump, which should show some doubt. Over a threediamond response, a call of three hearts would be enough.