ACES ON BRIDGE
Players come from all around the world to the Gold Coast tournament in Brisbane every February, both to escape winter in the Northern Hemisphere and to play in a fun event.
At one table, Roger Lee of the U.S. (with Michael Whibley of New Zealand) finished in four hearts from the South seat, like everyone else in the field, and if ever there was a pairs deal that proved the merits of protecting partner, this was it.
Put yourself in the East seat, when partner leads the club queen. Declarer wins in hand — as you drop the eight to encourage the lead — and draws two rounds of trumps. Plan the defense, bearing in mind that you are playing pairs.
At nine of the 14 tables, East did something other than signal forcefully for diamonds with his first discard. Declarer now led a spade to the king and ace, West exited with a club, and declarer got rid of a diamond loser to claim 10 tricks.
You could argue that West should have seen the need to cash the diamond ace without being helped. But what if declarer had begun with a 1-6-3-3 shape with king-third of diamonds and ace-third of clubs? Now cashing the diamond ace would throw away an overtrick unnecessarily, while exiting in clubs means that declarer would have to lose two diamond tricks eventually.
I do think West must take a fair share of the blame; but when East can make his partner’s life easier, it is up to him to do so.
ANSWER: I generally believe in introducing a four-card minor rather than rebidding a six-card major, but this hand has such weak clubs and decent hearts that it may be a sensible way to emphasize the minimum nature of the hand. If partner invites with a call of two no-trump, you can bid three clubs and describe your hand to a T.