ACES ON BRIDGE

You cannot fight against the future. Time is on our side.

— William Gladstone All of the deals this week will feature trump promotions and how declarer can counteract them.

North cue-bids two hearts to show a good raise, and South’s double is a game-try for spades, known as a maximal double. North has enough to take a shot at game.

East overtakes West’s heart-jack lead with the queen, and declarer must immediately decide how to tackle the trumps. Running the spade jack would allow only for just one holding — a singleton nine with East — while losing to the two cases of a bare honor. Moreover, East is all but certain to have a spade honor, based on his opening bid.

Declarer should plan to play a spade to the ace and another spade, which will be fine if trumps are 2-2. However, when West has honor-nine-low, doing that immediately might allow East to win the second heart and lead a third round, promoting a trump trick for his partner. If South ruffed with the spade jack, West would discard to retain his honor-nine tenace. If instead South ruffed low,

West would score a cheap overruff.

Accordingly, South must duck the first heart, cutting the link between the defenders. If East held eight hearts, he might have opened four hearts.

After winning the heart return, declarer plays a spade to the ace and another spade as planned. West wins but cannot reach his partner. His best defense is to play a club; declarer wins, draws the final trump, eliminates clubs and then runs the diamond nine to ensure his contract.

ANSWER: Lead the diamond 10. Broaching hearts or clubs does not appeal, and partner did not make a spade overcall. Declarer might struggle on a safe diamond lead, and you are unlikely to be giving Caesar anything other than what is Caesar’s.