ACES ON BRIDGE

1 Pass

2 NT Pass *could be short Opening Lead: Club five

“For fools rush in where angels fear to tread.”

— Alexander Pope

When North set up a game force at his first turn by making a two-over-one response (which could have been as few as two cards), it got his side to a sensible game without revealing much.

Against three no-trump, West decided to go passive, and since he needed his partner to have plenty of entries, he preferred to let him broach the diamonds. So he led a club through dummy.

Declarer could see seven top tricks if hearts behaved, with plenty of additional prospects. The club and spade finesses might work, and the diamonds offered considerable additional prospects.

South tried dummy’s club queen at the first trick. If it held, declarer might have enough time to set up three spade tricks even if hearts did not break. As it was, though, his choice was disastrous. East took the club king and shifted to the diamond nine, covered by the 10, jack and king. Declarer later took the spade finesse, but he was disappointed to see East win and continue diamonds to set the contract.

South should have seen that diamonds represented the biggest danger to the contract. He should have taken the club ace, crossed to hand in hearts and then run the spade queen. He would then be a step ahead, able to cash at least two spade tricks when his diamond stopper was removed, plus five hearts, a diamond and a club. With the club nine in dummy and West able to gain the lead only once, declarer would have been completely safe.

ANSWER:

Bid one spade. Your suit is not great, and you do not have much in the way of high cards, but it is essential that you get the spade suit in. You may be able to make a spade contract or have a cheap save over the opponents’ game. Given your singleton heart, you have chances of sacrificing against that game and, just as important, of making it harder for the opponents to get together in that suit.

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