ACES ON BRIDGE

This hand proved to be a problem for a few top-class players in a recent trial event.

Upon finding a fit, South drove to game with his two-suiter. West was unwilling to underlead either of his aces and therefore chose an aggressive club lead with a hand where a trump might have been a more popular choice among experts. Declarer won with the club ace and played a spade to the ace. When the queen fell, South was cold for 10 tricks. All he needed to do was pull the remaining trumps and play on hearts, ceding tricks to the heart tops and diamond ace. Count the tricks: six trump tricks (three rounds of trumps and three trumps separately), one heart, one diamond and two clubs

However, declarer neglected to count his winners, instead seeking to reduce his losers by throwing a heart on the club king. He could still make by reverting to hearts at this point, taking a ruffing finesse on the second round, but he played on diamonds instead — which, admittedly, would have been the right line for an overtrick.

West took the diamond ace and played a second trump. South won in hand and cashed the diamond queen, and he still would have survived if only he had given up a heart. When he continued diamonds, his ship was sunk. With West overruffing a club with that pesky spade nine, declarer could not cross-ruff the hand, and he now lacked the entries to set up the hearts. Whatever he did next, he could take no more than nine tricks.

ANSWER: Bid five clubs.What more could you possibly want for this call? You have five-card support and a singleton in the enemy suit. Partner has voluntarily bid at the three-level, so he probably has at least 10 minor-suit cards together with a fair hand, or both. If nothing else, this might be a good save — and by getting there as fast as possible, you make it less likely that the opponents will double.