ACES ON BRIDGE

Honesty is a good thing, but it is not profitable to the possessor unless it is kept under control. — Don Marquis

On this hand from a teams match, South was so confident of his card-reading skills that he was willing to abandon his legitimate line of play.

Against four spades, East played the two under his partner’s club jack, suit preference for diamonds. West duly shifted to the diamond three, which was ducked to East’s king, declarer unblocking the 10. East continued diamonds, and when West ducked, declarer overtook his eight with dummy’s nine. Declarer could now be sure of the diamond layout. East had a doubleton diamond, with hearts known to be 4-2, as East had not played for a ruff. So East looked like he had six clubs and therefore three spades.

At this point, most declarers would lead low to the ace or perhaps call for the spade jack, intending to put the ace on it whether East covered or not, allowing for

West’s holding the singleton spade queen or spade 10. While correct in isolation, this would fail on the deal shown

— if East could deduce not to cover. If declarer played low from hand, he would be unable to reach his hand twice, for a club ruff and to pull trumps. Meanwhile, giving up a heart would allow West to deliver a diamond ruff.

Rejecting this line, South instead led the spade five to his eight! When this held, he was in the right hand to ruff a club and could return to hand in trump.

Yes, East could have beaten the game by inserting a high spade on the first round, blocking the suit, but who would find such a play?

ANSWER:

You should stretch to bid three hearts. Your side could still have a game on if partner has extra shape or strength. Picture him with ace-fifth of spades and king-queen-fifth in hearts, and you do not need much more to make 10 tricks. Partner knows you might be stretching — one tends to bid game with the slightest excuse here.

BOBBY WOLFF