ACES ON BRIDGE

In today’s deal from the 2022 Wroclaw Mixed Teams Championship, the spade jack was led to dummy’s ace against four hearts. Debbie Rosenberg crossed to her trump king and then played two top clubs for a spade discard. The best play now is a diamond, but when Rosenberg called for the club queen, East had a tough decision.

Sofie Sjodal knew that it is generally unattractive to ruff in from a natural trump winner and let declarer discard a loser, but eventually she ruffed with the heart 10, declarer discarding a spade. Sjodal then cashed the spade king (to keep declarer from discarding another spade two tricks later) and switched to the diamond nine!

Her partner, Sven Olai Hoyland, overtook and now needed to play another club to promote East’s bare trump jack for the setting trick. Sadly, he returned a spade, and the game was made. Declarer could have prevented this elegant defense by playing the trump ace instead of the king before playing on clubs. However, it might be better to give up a diamond at trick two, paving the way for ruffs in dummy.

West would hardly gamble on a dangerous lead from jack-doubleton in spades when his side had bid and supported diamonds, so it was unlikely that the defenders would score two spade tricks and a trump promotion.

Say East won and switched to clubs. Declarer would cash two trumps ending in hand, then ruff a diamond, throw two spades on the top clubs, ruff a club and ruff another diamond. A certain trump trick would remain for the 10th.

ANSWER: With almost all of your values in your own suit and partner’s, this hand is not suitable for a no-trump contract. Raise to two spades rather than rebidding one no-trump. That doesn’t mean spades will play better than no-trump, but if you belong in game, you hope partner will be able to find out which game is better. The Spiral Raises article at bridgewinners.com details the best continuation here.