Bridge

Today we have a three-pronged quiz for you. After partner’s Gerber inquiry for aces, you find yourself in six no-trump on the lead of the heart 10. What is the best plan to make 12 tricks? Would you play the hand differently in seven no-trump? What about the contract of five no-trump?

Well, you have seven top tricks if you do not count the diamond suit at all, so any additional tricks will have to come from dummy’s long diamonds. In seven no-trump you need to find the diamonds 3-2 or to find an opponent with the singleton jack, so simply play diamonds from the top.

In five no-trump you have to give yourself the best chance of winning four diamond tricks, which is all you need to make 11 tricks. So, after winning the heart lead, play a diamond to the 10. This guarantees the contract whenever the diamonds are 3-2 or even if the suit splits 4-1, because you still have a diamond left to reach the dummy. If diamonds are 5-0, then you would still be safe so long as it is East who is void, rather than West.

Six no-trump, however, is the interesting contract, given the heart lead. Once West follows to the first diamond, you should adopt the “super” safety play of calling for a low card from dummy! This ensures five diamond tricks when the suit breaks either 3-2 or 4-1, but also when East shows out on the first round of diamonds, as you can finesse the diamond 10 on the second round.

Bid with the aces

South holds:

Answer: Try two clubs, Stayman, intending to convert a two-diamond response to two hearts, or to pass a major-suit response. Stayman followed by two hearts is Crawling Stayman, suggesting a weak hand and this sort of major-suit shape.