This hand came up at a rubber bridge game and it is filled with points of interest. The East-West pair were vulnerable with 40 on towards game. South, with a hand that might ordinarily pass at his first opportunity, decided to get active in case he could keep East-West from finding a game fulfilling partial.
At South's second chance to bid, you could build a case for raising hearts with three to an honor, but he selected to pass and wait to see what partner would do. Partner elected to cue bid three clubs. I think that he should have a full opener for this action and that three diamonds would have been a far better call. South, thinking that North had a full opener, decided to bid three no trump with his double club stopper. North, still hoping to play hearts, bid four diamonds on the way, and South passed.
Again, a case could be made for South bidding four hearts, which will never make as the cards lie, but he did not do that and four diamonds became the final contract.
The opening lead was the three of clubs. East won the ace and thought awhile before cashing the ace of spades and getting out with a small spade. South won the king and took a moment to examine the position. Two tricks had been lost and the ace of diamonds was going to win a trick for the defense. It also appeared that a heart trick was going to have to be lost, but there was one small chance that it could be avoided, so that is what South played for.
He cashed the king of clubs and then trumped a club in dummy. The spade queen was cashed and when East followed, declarer was able to discard a small heart. A diamond from the dummy put East on lead with these cards remaining:
East was very much aware of what had happened but he could do nothing but make a lead. A club would allow South to discard a small heart while trumping in the dummy. He would then draw the rest of the trumps and win the last trick with the ace of hearts. A heart lead was no better. South would play the queen which would win and then draw trumps and win the ace of hearts.
East could have avoided this situation if he had thought ahead. He was on lead twice after winning a trick with a black ace. At either point, he could easily have cashed the ace of diamonds before getting off lead, thereby eliminating the potential for the contract fulfilling end play.
When you hold a singleton ace, it is often correct to play
that card early to avoid any number of difficult situations later
in the play of the hand.
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