ACES ON BRIDGE

Among the brotherhood of bridge writers, Frank Stewart is someone I would be happy to call a friend. His new handbook of basic bidding, “What’s Your Call?” helps the average player improve his valuation skills. The book is far more about judgment than system. Today’s deal is a 26-card example in which Frank quotes the North hand at the point where the auction has reached five spades. He recommends a raise to six spades. South rates to need trump honors and you have more than your fair share. The play might be stimulating if diamonds and spades do not break. South ruffs the club lead, takes the trump king and jack, both ducked, then crosses to the diamond ace to continue drawing trumps. East wins the third trump and exits with a second club, letting declarer take the ace, ruff a club, then draw the last trump. West can let go one heart and one club, but on the fourth trump he must keep his diamonds and two clubs. So he comes down to a singleton heart. Declarer pitches a diamond and a club from dummy on the spades and plays the diamond ace and king. On finding the bad break, he must next lead the heart jack. East has to cover with the queen. When West’s 10 appears, declarer can later finesse against the heart nine for his contract. The book can be obtained (autographed on request) from Frank Stewart, $23.95 postpaid at P.O. Box 962, Fayette, AL 35555. All profit goes to local Alabama charities. Answer: On any auction where your side has the clear balance of high cards and the opponents are sacrificing, a trump lead has to make sense. This is especially true in a situation of this sort, where there is no realistic chance that the opponents will be running the unbid suit against you.