ACES ON BRIDGE

As South, cover up the EastWest cards here. You respond with a game-forcing two clubs and then continue with two no-trump rather than introducing a three-card major. A call of three clubs would show a better suit than this.

Can you succeed at three notrump on the lead of the spade three? With five top tricks, you need four more, and you can expect clubs to provide them all. The only issue is entries. If you run the lead round to your hand, you might wind up an entry short to establish and cash the clubs. You could rely on a heart honor being onside, but then the defense would have an extra tempo to set up one pointed suit or the other. Ducking the first spade would present a similar issue on a redsuit switch.

So, go up with dummy’s spade king, preserving an entry to hand, and then unblock the club ace. You must be careful which major-suit ace you first use to cross to hand, though. The spade three lead implies that spades are at worst 5-2, and neither defender bid that suit, so you can safely play to the spade ace to clear clubs.

The most the defenders can take is one club and three spade tricks.

If you were to come to hand with the heart ace instead, you might set up four heart winners for the defense if the suit lies unfavorably. Finessing in hearts will not work here against perfect defense. West can win and continue spades to East’s queen, followed by a diamond switch, or he might even shift to the diamond king.

Bite the bullet and overcall three diamonds. Showing signs of life at an early stage may prevent East-West from stealing the deal in some number of hearts, and you have a suitable hand for three no-trump, with a six-card suit and two quick tricks outside. The holding in hearts is not ideal, and your diamond spots are feeble, but passing would be cowardly.