Bridge

If a switch could be damaging to your contract’s health, making a play to encourage a continuation from the defense could be the antidote.

At most tables on this deal from the 2002 Cavendish Teams, East opened the bidding with a pre-emptive four spades. This put South under pressure, as it was designed to do. If South doubles (these days, often played primarily for takeout), North will bid five hearts. It takes a diamond lead to defeat that contract, which is not the most obvious attack from the East hand.

Paul Soloway, however, as South, chose to bid five clubs over four spades, and there the matter rested. West, with an attractive choice of leads, decided on the spade 10 rather than the diamond king. Soloway was keen on a spade continuation rather than a diamond switch. All would be well if the hearts broke 2-2 — his diamond loser in hand would disappear on dummy’s fifth heart. However, on the bidding, that break was against the odds, so a little deception was in order.

Accordingly, declarer rose with dummy’s spade king at trick one. East captured the king with the ace and was seduced into continuing with the spade queen. Had West held jack-nine-third of clubs, this would have promoted a trump trick for the defense, but as the cards lay, Soloway was able to ruff high, draw trumps, then play on hearts.

Now the diamond switch came, but too late, and declarer was able to discard his losing diamond. Contract made.

Bid with the aces

South holds:

Answer: Bid four hearts. Your partner has made a forcing call, and you have unnaturally good heart support, so let him know at once. With the diamond ace instead of the king, you might risk a jump to three spades — a splinter bid showing short spades and agreeing hearts.