What’s an ace worth? On the 4-3-2-1 scale popularized by Charles Goren (someone else devised it), an ace is worth four points. Goren advocated adding a point for holding all four aces.
Aces are controls and cards that promote the value of lower-ranking honors. Moreover, an ace may be a card you can take when you want.
At 3NT, South took the queen of hearts and went right after the spades: He cashed the king, queen and ace. When East discarded, South had eight tricks and no more.
DISTRIBUTION
Before attacking the spades, South should try to get a count of the East-West distribution. At Trick Two he ducks a diamond. If West wins and leads the queen of clubs, South ducks and ducks the jack also. West then leads a second heart, and South wins and ducks another diamond.
Declarer wins East’s diamond return and takes the ace of clubs. He then has a count: West had two clubs, one diamond, six hearts — and four spades. So South takes the A-Q and leads a spade to dummy’s ten.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: S Q 8 5 H A 4 2 D A 9 7 2 C A 7 3. Neither side vulnerable. The dealer, at your right, opens one spade. What do you say?
ANSWER: I would be reluctant to put down this hand as dummy if I doubled and partner bid (“advanced”) two hearts. The hand is full of losers, and the queen of spades may worthless for offense. A double might let you reach a game if partner happens to have a decent hand, but a pass is your soundest action.
South dealer
N-S vulnerable
NORTH
S A K 10 3
H K Q 6
D 6 4 3
C 10 8 4
WEST
S J 9 7 4
H J 10 9 8 5 3
D Q
C Q J
EAST
S 6 2
H 7
D K J 10 8 5
C K 9 6 5 2
SOUTH
S Q 8 5
H A 4 2
D A 9 7 2
C A 7 3
South West North East
1 D Pass 1 S Pass
1 NT Pass 3 NT All Pass
Opening lead — H J
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