Win the Trick or Hold Up?An Eternal Bridge Questionby Jim Kaplan

Sitting West, you see declarer lead a card toward the following Dummy suit:

     K Q 10 5 4

Should you go up with the ace from your hand?

This familiar scenario repeated itself at the Northampton Bridge Club on December 11. East was dealing, with no one vulnerable:

                     NORTH
                     S J 6
                     H Q 10 6 5
                     D K Q 10 5 4
                     C A 10
    WEST                            EAST
    S 5 4 2                         S 7 3
    H A 9 3                         H K 8 4
    D A 8 7 6                       D J 3 2
    C K 8 6                         C Q 9 7 5 2
                    SOUTH
                    S A K Q 10 9 8
                    H J 7 2
                    D 9
                    C J 4 3

The bidding proceeded as follows:

    East            South            West            North
    Pass            1S               Pass            2D
    Pass            2S               Pass            4S
    All Pass

Opening lead: spade 2

Declarer drew two rounds of trump and led the diamond 9. Figuring South held a singleton, West went up with the ace and led a trump. Alas, South threw two club losers and two hearts on diamond winners and made five for a shared top.

If West holds off on diamonds, declarer wins the first diamond trick but can’t throw clubs or hearts on diamond winners. Instead, South loses a club and two hearts, making four for a high-middle board.

That’s not to say you should never go up with the ace when you see the king-queen on the board. Play the ace when it’s the setting trick or if you’re sure that partner earlier led a singleton and trumps are still out. By in large, though, taking one defensive trick while establishing two offensive ones isn’t a good idea.