This hand was written by Eddie Kantar of Santa Monica, CA and is included in the 1999 edition of the Daily Bridge Calendar, published by Ashler House Inc. of Brompton, Ontario, Canada.
After North opens one no trump, two clubs by South is the Stayman convention asking partner if he has a four card major suit holding. The two diamond reply denies four cards in either major. Souths jump to three hearts is game forcing, showing a hand with five hearts and four spades.
With this type of holding, many players prefer to use a convention known as Smolen. After the two diamond response, the Stayman bidder jumps to three in the suit that he holds four cards in, promising a five card holding in the other major suit. The opener can then bid four of the other major with a three card fit, or, failing that, three no trump.
As you can see, the difference in bidding styles will only determine which partner is the declarer, the contract will be the same. Today, South plays four hearts. West is on lead and selects the king of clubs. This card holds the first trick and West continues with the ten of clubs, which South ducks in dummy.
East has a decision to make. The ten of clubs will win this trick if he ducks. Should East overtake with his ace, or not?
If he allows the ten to hold the trick, West will probably shift to a diamond. Declarer wins the ace and draws trump in three rounds ending in dummy. He now plays the queen of clubs. If East covers, declarer trumps and reenters the North hand with the ace of spade to discard his losing diamond on the jack of clubs. If East plays low on the queen of clubs, declarer is able to discard the diamond immediately.
However, if East overtakes the ten of clubs with the ace and returns a club, declarer is a dead duck. This type of play is known as a trump promotion. If declarer trumps high, the jack of hearts will become a trick for the defense later, and if declarer trumps low, the defense will score the ten of hearts immediately. In either case, the king of spades will become the setting trick.
As a defender, beware of gifts from declarer. It is usually
right to do the opposite of what it appears that he wants you to
do.
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Bernstein is
a free-lance writer in Solon.