“I have called this principle, by which each slight variation, if useful, is preserved, by the term Natural Selection.” - Charles Darwin

This deal was well played by Victor Goldberg, representing Scotland in the 2001 European Championships. It involved the use of a second suit as “substitute” trumps.

East’s four-heart opening bid was passed around to Irving Gordon, who bid four no-trump for the minors. Goldberg bid five diamonds, doubled by West. West’s heart lead was ruffed in dummy, and delarer played a diamond to his ace, revealing the 5-0 trump break. (Incidentally, at the other table, after identical bidding and initial plays, declarer led a spade at trick three. West rose with his ace to play another heart, and declarer now lost trump control.)

Here, Goldberg continued with the club 10, another club to dummy’s jack, then the club ace, on which he discarded his second heart. Next came the spade king, which West ducked, depriving declarer of an entry to hand. Now an established club was played. West ruffed, reducing his trump length to that of dummy, but then faced a no-win position.

If he played a heart, declarer would discard dummy’s spade five, ruff in hand, take the diamond finesse, then play spades. West would make two trump tricks, but no spade.

Accordingly, West cashed the spade ace before playing a heart. Declarer ruffed with the diamond four in hand, then led the diamond 10. If West covered, dummy would have been high, so he ducked. But now South ran spades, discarding clubs from dummy. As soon as West ruffed, declarer overruffed, drew the last trump, and claimed.

Bid with the aces

South holds:

Answer: Since a negative double leaves you poorly placed when partner bids hearts, and two diamonds overstates your hand by at least half a trick, your real choice is to pass, or raise to two spades with only a doubleton. I marginally prefer the raise because it feels as if I’ve at least shown the general hand-strength.