Contract bridge: Best defence solves high-level competition question

If you have pushed your opponents one level higher than they intended, it is generally correct not to bid on, particularly at the five-level. Might this deal be an exception?

Bidding
Dealer: North
Game All

East should pass. Her heart void will not produce extra tricks and might herald a poor trump break for the opponents. In a recent club championship duplicate event, several East players did bid on the 5S, were doubled and failed by only one trick, scoring them an excellent minus 200. Every North player in 5H made, hence the question was asked: how can East judge to bid 5S? The mantra in a competitive auction, of almost never bidding five over five, holds good even here.

At every table where the contract was 5H, East led A♠. This duly set up North’s K♠ as a card on which he could pitch a low club from dummy, meaning that East-West’s club trick evaporated. However, it is unlikely that there is a hurry to cash a spade trick, since the layout is quite likely to be 2-1. At Teams of Four or social bridge, 3♣ lead is stand-out, as an attacking lead to try to establish a trick quickly but, even playing Duplicate Pairs, because South has shown a weak hand by jumping to 4H, this more attacking lead may prove a success. Generally, leading unsupported aces carries risk too and, here, proved the decisive factor between a good and a bad score.