ACES ON BRIDGE

Declarer can often maximize his chances by delaying an apparently crucial finesse.

Over North’s two-no-trump call, showing a forcing heart raise, South eventually checks on key-cards and makes a grandslam try, rejected by North.

After the passive trump lead, declarer sees that a winning club finesse would see him home, but he can increase his chances. He wins the heart in hand and advances the diamond queen. West knows not to cover, so declarer goes up with the ace to ruff a diamond high. He crosses back to dummy with the heart 10, finding the even split, and ruffs a second diamond.

Then he plays a spade to the ace and follows with another spade to the nine. West wins his doubleton honor and must either give declarer a ruff-and-discard or lead into the club tenace.

Thus, declarer makes his slam even with the club king offside.

Going up with the spade king on the second round is effective only against queen-jack-low with West (three combinations), which is half as likely as the six various honor-doubleton combinations. Additionally, that play will be fatal if East has queen-jack-fourth in spades, whereas finessing still allows declarer eventually to try the club finesse. Note that South must leave a trump entry to dummy for the club finesse in case East had queen-jack-fourth in spades and splits his honors on the second round.

If trumps split 3-1, declarer can simply finesse in clubs and then try to play spades for one loser.

ANSWER: This is not the sort of hand to open with a weak two diamonds, except perhaps at favorable vulnerability.The suit is poor, the shape is uninspiring, and you have some defense against enemy contracts. Add the diamond 10 and, like Oscar Wilde, I would be able to resist anything except temptation.