ACES ON BRIDGE

This famous board, from the 1979 Bermuda Bowl, serves as a precursor to next week’s set of themed deals.

Against three no-trump, West led the club four to dummy’s king, South dropping the nine. Declarer played a spade to his ace, then crossed to the diamond queen and advanced the spade queen to East’s king, pitching a heart. How should East, Benito Garozzo, have defended from here?

For the defense to take five tricks after West got in with his hypothetical club ace, West would seem to need to hold the heart king. If he did, East could return the spade 10. Then West could take the second club and lead a heart. Even better, though, was for East to return a diamond, which did not require partner to hold the heart king. If declarer won the shift in hand, he would be unable to reach both his spade and diamond winners, while if he took the trick on table, he would either have to cash the spade jack, setting up two winners for East, or abandon that winner for good. Technically, declarer could have come home by running the diamonds, but he won the diamond in dummy and cashed the spade jack. The defense eventually took a heart and three spades, for down one. Had declarer crossed to the diamond ace instead of the queen at trick three, he could have won the second diamond in hand with the jack and advanced the club 10. West would do best to win the club ace and return a club, but declarer would prevail by leading a heart to the king.