ACES ON BRIDGE

Some evils admit of consolations, but there are no comforters for dyspepsia and the toothache. — Henry Lytton Bulwer At the Dyspeptics Club, the regular rubber players are of vastly different temperaments. South and West are both congenital optimists, laboring under the delusion that they are experts. South believes it isn’t that he holds great cards; he just makes the most of what he has. West believes that if he ever picked up an opening bid he could move mountains. By contrast, North and East are better players but confirmed pessimists, each convinced that if only they could find partners worthy of them, the world would be their oyster. Today’s deal was a case in point. West led out the three top spades against four hearts. Declarer ruffed, then cashed the heart king and ace. Now the contract could no longer be made. Declarer had to lose a trump and a club for down one. South might have concluded that he was unlikely to be able to make the hand if trumps were 5-0; but if trumps were 3-2, the hand was a pianola. So he should have concentrated on negotiating a 4-1 break. Ten tricks are available whenever trumps are 4-1, as long as declarer cashes the ace and queen of trumps first. If everyone follows, South can draw trumps and run diamonds. If either player shows out, as East does here, South can play on diamonds. West can ruff in and play a fourth round of spades, but declarer simply throws a club from dummy and ruffs in hand. A trump to dummy’s ace sees South emerge with five trump tricks, four diamonds and a club. BID WITH THE ACES ANSWER: North’s double should be for takeout, not penalty. (Your heart length alone should argue for that, even if you don’t have any firm agreements here.) I wouldn’t want to introduce a spade suit this weak, so I’d repeat the diamonds. After all, 100 honors should count for something. If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, email him at