ACES ON BRIDGE

When the dummy appears in six spades, declarer can see two club losers. One of dummy’s clubs can go on the fourth diamond, but that will not help, as he cannot both draw all the outstanding trumps and leave a spade in dummy to take a ruff. He could draw only two rounds and hope for the hand with three or more trumps to hold at least four diamonds, but that is a slim chance. Additionally, he would need to have given up a club before drawing those two trumps, or the defenders could get in and draw a third round.

There is a better approach. If trumps are 3-2, declarer can ruff three hearts in hand, reversing the dummy, and then draw trumps and pitch a club on a diamond in peace.

However, to avoid problems if trumps split 4-1, he should draw a second round of trumps before ruffing a second heart.

Declarer wins the heart ace and, critically, gives up a club immediately. He ruffs the heart continuation and draws two rounds of trumps, ending in dummy. If everyone follows, he will ruff another heart, cross to the club ace and ruff the final heart. Then he can cross to the diamond king and draw the final trump.

As it is, West discards, and declarer must change tack. He unblocks the club ace and cashes all four diamonds for a club discard as East impotently follows suit. Declarer now ruffs his club loser for his 12th trick.

If declarer were to ruff the third round of hearts before cashing the diamonds, East would be able to pitch a diamond to set the hand.

ANSWER: I would open a weak two hearts when vulnerable, but three hearts non-vulnerable. The hand has a high ratio of offense to defense. In general, 6-4 hands with a side suit of a minor justify preempting to the limit, as long as the vulnerability appears to encourage action.