ACES ON BRIDGE
Both East and West acted conservatively here and avoided going for a large penalty. As a result, South reached three no-trump, where he seemed to have only eight tricks after running into bad breaks. But he found a 100% solution to his problems.
Declarer ducked West’s heart-king lead and took the heart-queen continuation to leave himself with an exit card. Next came the club ace, followed by another club through East, who was marked with the club king for his double. East had to insert the nine, declarer winning as West threw hearts.
Next came two rounds of diamonds, East pitching a club. Despite the poor splits in each minor, declarer had a lock. He simply played the spade ace, king and another spade. One defender or the other would have to concede the game-going trick sooner or later. Either East, who was marked with 4=1=1=7 distribution, would win, cash his last spade and then lead to South’s club jack, or West would win the third spade from his 3=6=4=0 shape. West would take his hearts, but with no communication left in spades, declarer could come down to two diamonds in each hand and score the diamond 10 on West’s forced diamond exit.
If declarer had ducked the second heart, he still could have succeeded. East would have had to find four discards on red-suit winners. He could afford three clubs but would then have to let go of a spade. Declarer could then play three rounds of spades, throwing East on lead for a club play.
ANSWER: You have the values for a bid, but one no-trump is unattractive without a stopper in East’s five-card suit, and a takeout double would invite partner to bid spades. You had better pass for now, hoping to double spades for takeout later. Alternatively, you may come in to show both minors, albeit with considerly less shape than is usual for this auction.
“Superstition sets the whole world in flames; philosophy quenches them.”
— Voltaire