ACES ON BRIDGE

“With a dead sound on the final stroke of nine.”

— T.S. Eliot

“Where there’s eight, there’s always nine” was South’s quip after he scraped home in his contract in today’s tricky deal. West had declined to overcall one diamond with his meager values, and East had also discreetly kept silent. North-South thus bid unopposed to the no-trump game and received a low diamond lead.

Declarer ran the lead to hand and naturally began with a spade to the jack and queen. Back came a diamond to the queen, ducked, and another diamond to dummy’s ace, East making what seemed like the normal discard of a spade. Declarer proceeded to cash the spade king, revealing the break, and ride the spade nine. Then it was over to a top club to cash the long spade, discarding a heart from dummy. West reluctantly let go of a heart and a club on the first two spades, but the third spade turned the screw. If he discarded a second club, declarer would run the suit; however, a diamond would be no better, reducing the defensive winners to the point that declarer could simply duck a club next. West’s actual choice of a heart left the most options for declarer, but South could read from the tempo that West had been in pain with his discards. So he carried on his good work by cashing the second top club to extract East’s exit card, then guessed to lead his heart three to the ace and continued with a low heart from dummy. East could win the king, but he was down to only hearts and was forced to resurrect dummy’s stranded heart jack for the ninth trick.

ANSWER: Double. This is not the classic shape for a takeout double, but that call is an easy way into the auction. Your hearts are not long or strong enough for an overcall, but you must not miss an opportunity to get into the bidding in a relatively safe position. Should partner compete in either major, your cards appear to be working, and you do have support. However, you should not bid again unless forced to.