THE ACES ON BRIDGE

“To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.” -- George Washington

Roy Welland was once a regular in contention for the U.S. International team -- he lost the finals of three consecutive U.S. team trials. But he now spends much time in Germany, and, in partnership with Sabine Auken, he has recently made it onto the German team that qualified in Opatija, Croatia, last year for the 2015 Bermuda Bowl. Roy has a talent for the unorthodox in the auction, but is not a bad card-player either, and he demonstrated it in today’s deal.

After a light but entirely understandable response of one heart to his partner’s onediamond opening bid, Welland found himself in four hearts on a top club lead. He won, played the spade king to the ace, won the low heart return in dummy, played the diamond ace and guessed well when he led a diamond to the eight. He had correctly assumed that West would not be able to bring himself to duck the king. East won the diamond 10 and exited with the club king. Welland ruffed in dummy, then played the diamond queen, covered by the king, and ruffed to bring down the jack.

He next led a trump to dummy, and, trusting the opponents’ count card in spades, he reconstructed the West hand to have a 3-2-3-5 original distribution.

Accordingly, he next cashed the diamond nine to pitch his spade, ruffed a spade to hand and ruffed a club to dummy. To prevent this trick from becoming declarer’s 10th winner, East had to overruff, but he then had to lead a spade into dummy’s tenace and concede the contract.