ACES ON BRIDGE

Today's deal occurred in the Mitchell Open Board-aMatch Teams at the San Francisco Nationals last fall. The defense to two spades started well, with West leading the diamond queen, overtaken by the king. Peter Rank, East, switched to the club nine, and declarer, Norberto Bocchi, gave the matter some thought. When West played the club queen, Bocchi made the fine play of ducking to cut the defenders' communication.

West continued with the club five, which Bocchi took in dummy to lead a diamond. That gave Rank his first problem: Should he win or duck? Rank decided correctly that his partner's second club (a high one in context) was suit preference — thus he should not hold the diamond jack. Rank played the diamond ace and next played a third diamond. If declarer had ruffed, West could have overruffed and given Rank a club ruff for down one. Bocchi foiled that plan by pitching the club jack on the third diamond. This play seems counterintuitive, but now the defenders could score only one further trump winner — there was no club ruff and no diamond overruff.

Contract made, a result that swung a full board because East-West at the other table had made plus 90 in two diamonds. Note, though, that as Rank pointed out, he could have defeated the contract with the inspired shift to a trump instead of playing the third diamond. West would have won the ace and given his partner the club ruff; then the third diamond re-promotes the trump queen.

Answer: The best plan with relatively limited values is to raise to three clubs directly rather than to let the opponents gauge their degree of fit and combined high cards. By raising at once, you prevent West, for example, from introducing diamonds at a convenient level. Or you may force him to bid at the three-level when he wanted only to bid at the two-level. Support with support if you can.