ACES ON BRIDGE

Even the experts don’t get them all right. Witness what happened on this deal from the first semifinal session of the Kaplan Blue Ribbon Pairs, when a multiple world champion reached four hearts after a strong notrump auction where East had been somewhat frisky with his overcall. When West led his singleton spade, declarer went up with the spade ace, then played a heart from dummy to get the bad news. He won with the heart ace and played the club ace followed by another club. Now West had no choice but to win and play a third club, which declarer ruffed. South next threw West on lead with the third heart, and West exited with a diamond. Now South no longer had a diamond loser, but he did still have two spades to lose, for down one. West could avoid being endplayed in diamonds by unblocking his king at the critical moment. At the point declarer ruffed the third club, he should have found his way home. Since he needed to find the diamond king onside, he should have led a diamond toward the queen at once.

LEAD WITH THE ACES West would have to win and could then do no better than exit with a diamond. At this point, a trump to declarer’s king allows him to cash the diamond ace, pitching a spade. A third round of hearts puts West on lead to provide a ruff-sluff, and dummy’s last losing spade goes away. In essence, declarer loses a diamond trick he didn’t have to, but he gets a discard and a ruff-sluff to more than compensate for that.

ANSWER: When you have transferred into a major, a double by you on your next turn is not pure penalty. It is card-showing, suggesting invitational values or better. Your partner can choose between defending or reverting to hearts, depending on how suitable his red suits are for one action or the other.