ACES ON BRIDGE

East’s imaginative bidding probably helped declarer more than a straightforward route would have. The one-no-trump overcall was designed at least partly to obstruct, but East was forced to retreat to his long suit. When South drove to four spades, neither East nor West could act again despite having a remarkably cheap save available.

In four spades, South ruffed the second diamond high. With nine top tricks, the 10th surely had to come from hearts or clubs.The heart finesse was a non-starter, there being just 16 points outstanding, but if the heart king lay singleton, doubleton or tripleton with East, it could be ruffed out, establishing the queen for the critical club discard.

Declarer drew trumps in two rounds, retaining the spade seven in dummy, of course. Then he played his heart five. West contributed the six, which held the trick, as South played dummy’s three. West did his best when he returned a club. Declarer ducked in dummy, and East played the king. He returned a club, and declarer tried his jack, expecting the king to be a false-card. But no, West turned up with a card he was unlikely to hold, and declarer was forced to take the ace.

Down to his last chance, South took the heart ace and ruffed a heart, which brought forth East’s king, just as declarer had hoped. Now South led his carefully preserved spade four to the seven in dummy and cashed the heart queen for a club discard to bring home his game. ANSWER: Lead the heart 10. A singleton lead is much less attractive when you have only one trump, because it will typically benefit you only when partner has the side-suit ace, not the trump ace.The spade jack may be useful later, defending against a 4-4 fit, and a club may help declarer set up his side suit, or it may just give away the position entirely. A heart lead can also enable you to set up a force on declarer.