ACES ON BRIDGE

Today’s deal from a teams match saw both declarers sensibly treat the South hand as worthy of a weak two, in first seat nonvulnerable. The playing strength from the diamonds and the internal solidity of the spades more than made up for the missing high honors.

When North raised to game, both Wests led the club king. Each declarer saw that the easiest route to 10 tricks would come from ruffing three diamonds in dummy. First the club loser would be discarded on the heart king, and then they could embark on a cross-ruff.

In both rooms, declarer took his discard, ruffed a club to hand, then trumped a diamond. Now, how to come back to hand to ruff the second diamond? At one table, South played the odds, which favored a 4-3 heart break rather than a 3-3 club break. He played a third heart and ruffed it, and could next ruff a diamond and play a third club. Now he could not be prevented from coming to 10 tricks.

In the other room, West deviously dropped his heart queen on the second round of the suit. Again, declarer ruffed a club, then a diamond, but on trick six (knowing that West still had the club queen left) he tried a club. East accurately ruffed in with the trump ace and played another trump. That let West take his king and lead another trump, to prevent South from ruffing any more diamonds. So declarer had to lose two spade tricks and eventually two diamond tricks.

ANSWER: The two-spade call is artificial (as partner can’t hold spades). It suggests at least a high-card raise to three clubs, a direct club raise being more about shape than high cards. Your extra shape makes your hand worth at least a shot at game, but should you make a splinter jump to four diamonds? That may direct the spade lead, but bear in mind that your RHO didn’t double two spades, so I vote for the splinter.