ACES ON BRIDGE

In today’s deal from the Las Vegas Summer Nationals last summer North- South bid to three no- trump after an artifi cial auction, which has been simplifi ed for the purposes of this column. Put yourself in West’s shoes: You lead the spade seven to partner’s ace. Trick two consists of the spade six, jack, queen and the heart four from dummy. Over to you!

What happened at the table was that West played a low heart. Declarer won in dummy with the heart jack and ran the heart 10. When he didn’t overtake, West ducked. Now when clubs didn’t break, declarer had no legitimate play for nine tricks.

Had declarer overtaken the second heart, there would still have been a defense ( though West indicated that at the table he might not have found it!). West would have had to duck the second heart, and now if declarer played a third heart to set up his ninth trick, it would squeeze dummy in the process.

So let’s revisit the best possible play and defense. After winning the heart jack, declarer cashes one club, overtakes the second heart and plays a third heart, pitching a club. If West has a club to play, the suit will break. If not, he must give declarer a trick from spades or diamonds.

And fi nally: If West had worked out declarer’s pattern at trick three, should he have found the Deschappelles Coup of shifting to the diamond queen? This devastating play creates an entry by force to the East hand, defeating the game.

ANSWER: A penalty pass might work well — but it is an action I am very reluctant to take without trump tricks. A simple jump in clubs is certainly possible, but another way to go would be to bid four no- trump, to show the minors. Beware: Some play this as natural, and indeed, I play a jump to four no- trump as natural over partner’s double of a minor- suit pre- empt, though not of a major.

If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, email him at bobbywolff@mindspring.com