ACES ON BRIDGE

Against three no-trump, West hits on the one lead that will create a problem for South: the spade eight. This looks very much like top of nothing, so South plays low from dummy to preserve his queen. After all, if West has the king, the queen will make a trick later.

South must develop clubs to make his contract, but he must also try to keep West out of the lead. Accordingly, declarer leads the club nine, intending to let it ride around to East. If West ducks, he knows South will let it run, so West covers, and declarer must go up with one of dummy’s top clubs, consistent with his plan of keeping West off play. When East unblocks his club jack — since he doesn’t want the lead — South is in trouble.

He returns to his hand in diamonds and leads the club two, again intending to let this card ride around to East. West covers this card for the same reason as before — his best play is the eight. Once again, declarer wins in dummy, and East follows with the seven.

When declarer cashes the third top club and East shows out, pitching a diamond, declarer plays the diamond ace and king, as East pitches a spade. Before playing on spades, South falls back on one further slim chance, namely playing three rounds of hearts. Bingo! East must win and lead away from the spade king to concede the ninth trick.

Had West won the third heart, declarer would still have come home if the spade king was onside.