ACES ON BRIDGE

What I want is men who will support me when I am in the wrong.

— William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne

After East’s vulnerable preemptive raise, South risked introducing his spades. West pushed on to game, but cautiously sold out over four spades. Bidding to five hearts would have been a shot in the dark, but he could have risked a double.

West might have solved his problem on the previous round by bidding a natural four diamonds. Thus, if there was a double fit, as here, East could have competed to the five-level. Indeed, five hearts is making because of the complementary black-suit shortages.

This might not have been catastrophic if four spades had gone down, but West laid down the diamond king and, after getting an encouraging two from partner, cashed the ace next. He then switched to hearts, hoping East held the ace.

Alas, declarer won, drew trumps and dislodged the club ace to score up his game.

West could not tell whether a second-round club ruff was likely. If he played the club ace and another club at tricks three and four, declarer might be able to dump all his heart losers and steal the contract while missing the heart ace. East was the defender who knew what had to be done, so West should have trusted the encouraging signal and underled his diamond ace at trick two. East’s club shift would then cry out as a singleton, making the ruffing play clear to West.

Better still, though, would have been for East to drop the diamond queen at trick one, flagging his possession of the diamond jack in the brightest of colors.

ANSWER: This hand is not suitable for defense, with lots of slow tricks in your long suits. Still, passing could be right. There is a big and reasonably likely upside to acting, though; both sides could be making game. Try a takeout double to get your side to spades, the cheapest game. Partner should strain not to bid diamonds without six of them (you hope).