“Deliberation, n. The act of examining one’s bread to determine which side it is buttered on.” - Ambrose Bierce

Today’s deal comes from the Beijing World Championships 13 years ago. Where I was North, Paul Chemla (East) preferred to open one club as opposed to one diamond. My partner, Bob Hamman, overcalled in diamonds, and now our heart fit got lost in the shuffle. Hamman ended up as declarer in three no-trump.

Michel Perron led a club and Hamman tried dummy’s nine in case West held the J-10. Chemla put in the jack, however, and Hamman had to duck. Chemla hastened to play ace and another club, but with the clubs now dead, Hamman was able to drive out the spade honors and come to three spades, two hearts, three diamonds, and a club for plus 400.

Would a diamond switch by Chemla before cashing the club ace have given him time to set up the setting trick in diamonds? No; Hamman would have knocked out the high spades and squeezed East in three suits.

Does that mean the no-trump game is cold? Well, in the women’s match between France and Germany, the French declarer, Benedicte Cronier, also reached three no-trump.

Andrea Rauscheid (West) led a club, and Cronier played the nine from dummy, ducking Pony Nehmert’s jack. Nehmert cashed the club ace, but then found the essential switch to hearts, continuing the suit when she won the first spade, playing her partner for nothing more than the heart jack. Cronier had to go one down now; those extra few seconds of deliberation had paid off.

Bid with the aces

South holds:

Answer: In balancing seat you can’t let the opponents play one club. Fortunately, you do have an accurate way to describe your hand. One no-trump shows a balanced 11-15 here. (With more you would first double and then bid no-trump.)