ACES ON BRIDGE

This week’s themed deals will focus on forcing pass situations. Forcing passes most commonly apply at the game level and above, when your side has guaranteed at least the high-card values for game. They normally offer partner the choice of whether to defend or declare. Pass normally shows suitability for bidding on; double is discouraging. Here, East opens a limited Precision-style one heart, letting West splinter to four diamonds. The splinter should set up a forcing pass, so when North raises to five diamonds, East’s pass is somewhat encouraging, leaving the decision to West. With no real extra shape or high cards, and no source of tricks, West is happy to defend and doubles. Curiously, despite his side’s paucity of values, South can make five diamonds, thanks to the matching major-suit shortness. Even on the best lead of a trump, preventing a total cross-ruff, declarer can set up spades. He wins the trump in dummy and cross-ruffs three spades and three hearts. Declarer could now ruff the fourth spade, but after drawing trumps, he would have no diamonds left, so West would be able to win the club ace and lead a heart to his partner. Instead, declarer throws his last heart on the fourth spade. Either defender can win and force declarer with a heart, but now when declarer draws the last trump and plays a club toward dummy, West has only clubs left. Dummy cannot be prevented from scoring the club queen and the long spade.