ACES ON BRIDGE
Try this as a declarer-play problem. The deal is from the 1974 U.S. team trials, and the spots are approximate.
A slam is unlikely once the opponents have bid and responded, so you make do with a space-consuming jump to four spades. West leads the heart king (top of honors) for you to ruff, and you can see eight tricks, including a slow diamond. You will surely need to take a successful club finesse to stand any chance, after which a club ruff in dummy will yield the game-going trick.
The trouble is that you must reach dummy in order to start clubs. If you were to cross on the spade jack, the defenders could return a trump to denude you of the ruff. So you must cross to dummy in diamonds, but again, advancing the diamond king would allow West to win and play a trump. You should therefore lead the diamond two out of your hand at the second trick. West cannot afford to take his ace without giving you a second diamond trick (since you still have the trump jack as an entry to dummy after unblocking diamonds), so he plays low. You score the diamond queen and play a club to the jack, playing West for the ace to make up his opening bid.
You win the trump return, cash the club king and ruff a club with dummy’s spade jack as the 10th trick for your contract.
West was caught in a Morton’s Fork coup at trick two, but not in the traditional sense whereby ducking costs you your trick in the suit altogether. Here, declarer gained a tempo and a crucial entry instead.
ANSWER: You have far too much for a four-spade opening, which should be preemptive, but the hand does not justify a two-club opening, either. (Partner might take you too seriously and go overboard.) Open one spade, intending to jump to four spades over a one-no-trump response. The chance that you will be passed out here doesn’t entitle you to overbid.
If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, e-mail him at bobbywolff@mindspring.com. Copyright 2024, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS