Bridge: Jan. 1, 2023

Someone asked me whether I thought the bar for achieving Life Master status — as per the American Contract Bridge League’s way of acknowledging success — is set too low. (It takes 500 “masterpoints,” some won above the club level.)

Masterpoints are a wonderful marketing gimmick, but it’s possible to accumulate points without facing tough competition. My friend’s question was moot since masterpoints are not, and haven’t for some time, been a meaningful measure of proficiency. If I measured skill, I think I might administer a written examination, testing a player’s aptitude for bidding and play.

Cover today’s North-South cards. Against six spades, West leads a heart, and you take dummy’s ace. Given a 2-1 trump break, you have 12 easy tricks and a chance for 13 by setting up dummy’s fifth club. Even if trumps break 3-0, you may survive if you pick up the trumps or make use of the fifth club.

Here’s a test question; you have a 50-50 chance of getting it right. Do you (a) take dummy’s king of trumps or (b) lead a trump to your ace?

You should lead a trump to your ace. In the actual deal, you succeed even when West discards. The play will continue: ace of clubs, club ruff, king of trumps, club ruff, ace of diamonds, club. If East ruffs in, you pitch your heart loser and take the rest; if instead East discards, you ruff, lead a diamond to dummy and discard a heart on the good club.

If you take the king of trumps first, you may go down if East shows out and West has only three clubs.

North dealer

N-S vulnerable

NORTH

S K J 6 4

H A J

D A K

C A J 10 5 4

WEST

S None

H Q 10 7 4 2

D Q 8 6 3

C K 8 7 3

EAST

S Q 7 3

H K 9 6 5

D 10 9 2

C Q 9 2

SOUTH

S A 10 9 8 5 2

H 8 3

D J 7 5 4

C 6

North East South West
1 C Pass 1 S Pass
2 D(!) Pass 2 S Pass
4 NT Pass 5 D Pass
6 S All Pass
Opening lead — H 4

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