Bridge

When you reach five clubs off three cashing winners, you do not generally expect that game will be on a finesse for the eight of trumps. But on today’s deal from the Cavendish Teams tournament last year, Eric Rodwell was alive to all the possibilities and exploited the location of the club eight to bring home 11 tricks.

He had reached five clubs as South on an ambitious auction and was treated to the lead of the club five — it was difficult for West to lead the diamond ace here.

Having received his first piece of good fortune, Rodwell had to exploit it to the full. That meant that he needed to set up dummy’s hearts to sluff as many of his diamond and spade losers as he could.

First, Rodwell had to guess whether the opening lead was from the 5-3 of clubs or from the doubleton 8-5. He got it right when he inserted dummy’s seven at trick one. When this held the lead, declarer cashed the heart ace-king to pitch spades, then made the next crucial play when he ruffed a heart and exited with a diamond. At this point West could win the first diamond and lead a second trump, but Rodwell could win in dummy and ruff out the hearts to set up his 11th winner.

Declarer finished up with seven trump tricks in hand, one diamond ruff in dummy, the ace-king of hearts and the long heart trick.

Bid with the aces

South holds:

Answer: Bid four hearts. Your nine-count has improved immeasurably with every call in this auction. Partner figures to have a club fit for you, four hearts, and short spades. What more could you ask for?