ACES ON BRIDGE
Arm the obdured breast With stubborn patience as with triple steel.
— John Milton
Cooperation in defense should be one of the great pleasures of this game. On this deal, however, it was declarer who enjoyed East-West’s efforts when they combined to help him to get rid of three potential losers, all in the space of one trick!
West led the club seven against four hearts (though there is a case for leading a top trump) and, after taking his two top clubs, East felt something dramatic was required. Could his partner hold something like K-10-x or Q-9-x-x in trumps? Then the winning defense would be to lead a third round of clubs, promoting a second trump trick for West, who would either score a trick immediately with his heart intermediate or via a refusal to overruff if South ruffed high.
Accordingly, East led another club. Declarer discarded the diamond five from hand, West ruffed with the heart nine and dummy’s losing spade went away. South was now home free. After ruffing a spade on the table and drawing trumps, he had the rest of the tricks.
Of course, East’s play could have been right if the cards had lain as he visualized, but the real mistake was made by West. If he had simply discarded on the third round of clubs, declarer would still have been one trick short.
It is something of an optical illusion, but the trump trick is a sure one whether you ruff in or not; while if you do use up your trump trick, you let declarer discard a loser and have gained nothing in the process.
ANSWER: Once partner passes your opening call, disappointing as that may seem, your chances of making game here are virtually nil. (Yes, there are hands, but he won’t have one of them — trust me.) So rather than trying for game and getting too high, just rebid two hearts, which already shows extras, when facing a known weak hand. If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, email him at