ACES ON BRIDGE

Fame is no plant that grows on mortal soil. — John Milton

In today’s deal from the NEC tournament last year, two Wests led their doubleton diamond against four spades. Both declarers pitched three club losers as West ruffed, then exited with the spade jack.

In both rooms South won, and here the two lines of play diverged slightly. One declarer led out the second top spade, and when the queen did not drop he played the heart king to try to arrange a heart ruff in dummy. The other declarer tried the more subtle approach of leading the spade eight from hand first, but East ducked, denying declarer an entry to dummy with the spade nine. After that trick, declarer also played the heart king to arrange a ruff in dummy, but he, too, was unable to take more than nine tricks.

At a third table, Sue Picus found the way to come to 10 tricks. She, too, won the diamond lead in dummy and continued with top diamonds, pitching her clubs as West ruffed the third round and tried the club ace.

Picus ruffed and got out with a heart. West won the heart and continued clubs, so Picus ruffed again and cashed the spade ace, deciding from the fall of the jack to play West for no more spades. She ruffed a heart, cashed the diamond jack, pitching a heart, then continued diamonds. East could ruff in whenever he wished, but Picus could overruff and ruff another heart in dummy for her 10th trick.

ANSWER: There are many bridge players who would propel themselves into a dicey 5-2 fit and bleat in apology, “But I had 5-5, partner!” Don’t be that guy; if your partner cared about your fifth heart, he had many forcing actions available to him to find out about it. Pass three no-trump and hope your partner is in good declaring form.