ACES ON BRIDGE

An unusual point of technique came up here from the semifinal of the Kaplan Blue Ribbon Pairs.

The lure of hearts or no-trump proved too much for many North-South pairs, but say North-South bid to five diamonds after North reasonably opts to start with a double rather than a two-heart overcall. Now South moves toward game over North’s three-diamond call, another mildly aggressive move.

After a club lead to dummy’s queen, declarer plays the diamond ace and another diamond, finding that it is East who has the diamond king. East carefully returns another club.

Now declarer’s way forward may not seem entirely clear, but the first thing he should do is cash the heart top cards. If the hearts break, the suit ruffs out for 11 tricks. If they do not, East has turned up with 6 high-card points already. He would have raised to two spades with three of them, so spades are surely 6-2.

Thus, when West shows out on the second heart, then instead of leading a spade to the jack, South leads the spade seven from dummy and lets it run if East supinely plays low. The seven forces the 10. South ruffs the club return to lead the spade king, pinning the nine. It is then a simple matter to ruff a heart back to hand and take a ruffing finesse against West’s spade queen, eventually establishing the spade eight in declarer’s hand.

Yes, if East covers the spade seven, this will not work, but you might as well try!

ANSWER:

Quick tricks are desirable facing preempts; they cover partner’s side-suit losers, leaving him to worry primarily about the trump suit. Opposite a secondseat weak two, which should be based on a good suit, you should raise to four spades. In this position, it seems right to play spades. You may not be able to access that suit if you play no-trump.

“Call for the robin-red-breast and the wren Since o’er shady groves they hover And with leaves and flowers do cover The friendless bodies of unburied men.”

— John Webster