ACES ON BRIDGE

We conclude our tournament week with two deals from the main event at the 2023 spring nationals: the Vanderbilt knockout.

The Rimstedt brothers of Sweden bid to four hearts after South had shown his spades with a transfer response. West led a third-and-fifth diamond two to the ace. It seemed to East that declarer had short clubs, so he tabled the heart queen.

After winning in dummy, declarer was forced to play clubs from the table immediately. A club went to the 10 and queen, and West persevered with a second trump. Declarer now ruffed a club, drew trumps and forced out the club ace. He had hoped to endplay the defense, but West won the club and played a spade to East’s king for the setting trick.

Declarer had missed a winning line in the endgame. Rather than ruffing a club, he should have run the club king to West. Declarer could subsequently ruff a winning club in hand, throw a spade on the diamond king and draw trumps.

Similarly, West had needed to play a diamond when he was in on the club queen. If declarer then drove out the club ace, West could force dummy in diamonds to establish his heart nine. If instead declarer ruffed two clubs, he would be an entry short to enjoy the dummy without surrendering control.

By contrast, if East were to return a diamond at trick two, declarer would win the diamond king, discarding a spade, and lead a club toward dummy. He would lose a club, a diamond and a trump (after West forced the dummy).

ANSWER: Partner might wind up on lead against a heart contract, so this hand is just about worth a two-diamond overcall. You might be able to compete the partscore or perhaps even bid a game of your own. I realize the call is dangerous, and I might not take it if vulnerable and facing a passed partner. I’d be much happier with the spade ace than the king, and I would pass if my spade king were the queen.