Take care playing ace of trumps

Press, 24 June 1981, Page 13

Take care playing ace of trumps

Wc all know that the most powerful card in bridge is the ace of trumps. In a competition organised a few years ago by the Bols Liqueur company for the best bridge tip by a world expert. Giorgio Belladonna, world champion on 17 occasions, advised: "A general docs not necessarily commit his crack troops to the battle right at the start, and you too should quite often hold back the ace of trumps until it can play a decisive role.” He gave this example. West was the dealer with neither side vulnerable:

'Against four spades pjVest leads the king of hearts..won by the defender’s ace. If South can force out the ace of spades early he will have 10 easy tricks, so he con-

tinues with the king of trumps.

Should West take his ace, it is all over. He can cash the queen of hearts and lead the jack, but the declarer simply discards a low club from his hand. Now he can win any continuation in dummj’, draw trumps, and claim the rest. Suppose, instead, that West refuses to play his ace on the first, round of spades, and holds iip .again on the second round.

The declarer is helpless. If he plays a third trump, West wins and leads hearts until South ruffs with his last spade. The contract then will be defeated by two tricks.

On the other hand, if the declarer abandons trumps after two rounds West makes his small spade by ruffing! leaving the declarer with only nine tricks.

Though this is excellent advice, there are no blanket rules in bridge, as this deal from the Quill .Humphreys Winners’ championship shows. North dealt with only his side vulnerable:

Eyerybne had something to say in the auction: W. N. 'E. S. No 1* 2V Dble 3Y 3$ 4V All Pass Against South’s venturesome contract of four hearts, West led the eight of spades. After winning with dummy’s ace, the declarer tried the 10 of diamonds to the two, three and king. West continued with the four of spades won with the .king, and East pushed on with the queen. When South ruffed with the jack of hearts West was not ashamed to over-ruff with the ace. A few seconds later East made the queen of trumps to put the contract one down. This time it certainly did not pay to hold up the ace of trumps. Had West done so, and discarded instead, the declarer would have continued with a low heart towards dummy, putting up the king when West followed with the nine. Now a second round of hearts would drop the queen and ace together. By thus confining his- losers in trumps to one only. South would bring home his contract.

There are no rules without exceptions at the bridge table. ■"