Nov. 29, 1958
Neither vulnerable. South deals.
Opening lead: 
J
The final contract of four spades was amply justified by the holding. Some players will regard with disdain South’s jump to three spades on a 10 high suit, but we cannot look upon it as an impropriety. Assuming the hand qualifies in other respects, the jump rebid may be made on any “strong rebiddable suit.”
A strong rebiddable suit may be vaguely described as one with which you would be willing to play at a game contract if the dummy, in addition to its expected values, produced no more than two small trumps. Whether or not North should have accepted the invitation to game is a close question. North’s response of one no trump had promised at least six points, but in this case he held seven including the very vital king of trumps.
When dummy appeared, it became apparent that the success of the contract depended upon limiting the losses in the trump suit to two tricks. Declarer, for no special reason chose to lead the 10 of spades in an effort to induce a cover. West covered with the jack and the king was played from dummy. This trick went to East’s ace. West Q-8 was now a tenace over South’s 9-7, and insured the defense of two more trump tricks which, in addition to the ace of hearts, was sufficient to defeat the contract.
In view of the bidding, declarer should have marked East with the ace of spades. The only condition, therefore, on which declarer can lose the hand is if East has the Q4 of spades in addition to the ace. Declarer’s proper play, therefore, at trick two was a low spade from his own hand intending to duck in dummy unless West played an honor.
If East should hold a singleton ace, only two trump tricks need be lost. Or if the spades divide 2-2 declarer will lose only two trump tricks regardless of his play.
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