August 1st, 2010 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ No Comments 
Dear Mr. Wolff:
We use Jacoby transfers in response to an opening one no-trump. When responder holds five or six diamonds or clubs, with or without an honor, what should the response be?
– Minor League, Portland, Ore.
ANSWER: Rather than worrying about transfers to a minor with a five-card suit only, play in no-trump at the appropriate level with 0-13 high-card points. With six in the minor, use two spades as a transfer to clubs, and either two no-trump or three clubs as a transfer to diamonds. Additionally, use Stayman then bid a minor at the three-level as game-forcing with five or more cards in the minor and a four-card major, interested in slam or some contract other than three no-trump.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
With ♠ A-3, ♥ A-9, ♦ Q-7-4-2, ♣ A-J-6-5-4, would you open one no-trump, despite the 5-4 pattern, or would you open one club and reverse into two diamonds over a major-suit response?
– Fudging, Troy, N.Y.
ANSWER: This is a tough one. This is truly too good a hand to treat as a balanced minimum by opening one club and rebidding one no-trump. Equally, to open one club and reverse into two diamonds shows at least a queen more. So that leaves treating the hand as a strong no-trump, right on high cards but flawed in many other ways. Oh well — nothing is perfect.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
What is does it signify if a hand passes, then bids at the two-level in a live auction? For example, you pass over one heart, but when your LHO bids one no-trump and your RHO bids two clubs, you bid two diamonds.
– Risky Business, Lakeland, Fla.
|
|
ANSWER: This auction shows a good hand, unable to act because of length in RHO’s initially opened suit, probably very short in the second suit by your RHO. You might be 5-5 in hearts and diamonds here.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
Recently you featured an auction where a call of five no-trump was described as pick-a-slam. Please explain how that interacts with the use of the call as the grand slam force.
– Double Meaning, Mason City, Iowa
ANSWER: Until the advent of the more sophisticated versions of Blackwood, there was always a problem in finding the trump honors other than the ace. That was why the grand slam force became popular. These days, unless you have a void to complicate matters, the grand slam force has been superseded. But using the call to offer a choice of slams is a sophisticated way of passing the blame to partner — and one can never have enough of them!
Dear Mr. Wolff:
For the first time ever in my life, when it came to the end of a deal, I had one card left and there were THREE on the board. An opponent said that there must have been a revoke, but surely there must have been a misdeal? I thought the hand should have been thrown in and redealt.
– Judicial Review, Great Falls, Mont.
ANSWER: At rubber bridge any hand where the cards are misdealt at the start should be thrown in. Any hand where you started out with 13 and played two at once must continue while you remain one card short. It seems more likely that the former is true, not the latter! |
If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, e-mail him at bobbywolff@mindspring.com. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2009.
July 31st, 2010 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ 1 Comment
Dealer: South
Vul: E/W |
North |
|
| â™ |
A 9 8 6 |
| ♥ |
A 8 |
| ♦ |
7 2 |
| ♣ |
K 9 7 3 2 |
| West |
 |
East |
| â™ |
Q 7 5 4 |
â™ |
3 |
| ♥ |
Q J 9 7 |
♥ |
10 6 5 3 |
| ♦ |
— |
♦ |
10 9 8 6 4 3 |
| ♣ |
A Q 10 5 4 |
♣ |
J 8 |
| |
South |
|
| â™ |
K J 10 2 |
| ♥ |
K 4 2 |
| ♦ |
A K Q J 5 |
| ♣ |
6 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1♦ |
Dbl. |
Rdbl. |
1♥ |
| 1♠ |
Pass |
4♠ |
Pass |
| 5♣ |
Pass |
5♥ |
Pass |
| 6♠ |
All Pass |
|
|
Opening Lead: ♥ Queen
“Brains, your Majesty! It had none, or it would never have fallen into your trap.”
– Aesop
The advantages of using Key-Card Blackwood are that it keeps you out of slam when you need to locate the trump queen. But if the auction has told you where that card should be, a 50 percent guess may become a near certainty.
However, in today’s spade slam it is not enough just to know that West is very likely to hold the trump queen; you also have to plan how to come to 12 tricks if diamonds do not yield five tricks. On the initial heart lead you will find you need to win in hand to tackle trumps to best advantage. The right way to go after the spades is to pass the jack immediately. This will hold the trick, so now you lead a club toward the king. West will take the ace and return a heart, letting you ruff a club with the trump 10.
Now it is plain sailing: you lead out the spade king, take the marked finesse in spades, and draw the remaining trump, pitching your heart and diamond losers on the last trump and the club king. The last four tricks consist of your diamond winners. Contract made.
There are several traps you can fall into after you have won the opening lead in the right hand. The most important play is to ruff the club with a high trump. If you ruff it low, you block the trump suit.
ANSWER: Two diamonds is the fourth suit, asking you to describe your hand further and setting up a game force. Since you have pretty much shown your black-suit shape already (with 4-3-3-3 shape you would have rebid one no-trump over one heart), you would do best here to bid two hearts. This suggests either two- or three-card support for partner and is the least lie.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| â™ |
A 9 8 6 |
| ♥ |
A 8 |
| ♦ |
7 2 |
| ♣ |
K 9 7 3 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1♣ |
Pass |
1♥ |
Pass |
| 1♠ |
Pass |
2♦ |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
For details of Bobby Wolff’s autobiography, The Lone Wolff, contact theLoneWolff@bridgeblogging.com. If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, please leave a comment at this blog. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2010. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact reprints@unitedmedia.com.
July 30th, 2010 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ No Comments
Dealer: West
Vul: None |
North |
|
| â™ |
K Q 7 5 2 |
| ♥ |
4 |
| ♦ |
9 8 7 |
| ♣ |
K J 8 3 |
| West |
|
East |
| â™ |
A 10 |
â™ |
J 8 6 4 |
| ♥ |
A 10 8 7 5 3 |
♥ |
9 2 |
| ♦ |
J 10 |
♦ |
Q 5 4 3 |
| ♣ |
A 10 4 |
♣ |
9 5 2 |
| |
South |
|
| â™ |
9 3 |
| ♥ |
K Q J 6 |
| ♦ |
A K 6 2 |
| ♣ |
Q 7 6 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
1♥ |
1♠ |
Pass |
| 3 NT |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead: ♥7
“How shall your houseless heads, and unfed sides,
Your looped and windowed raggedness, defend you
From seasons such as these?”
– William Shakespeare
Today’s three-no-trump deal features nice defense by the Hackett twins of England, from the Forbo-Krommenie International Teams, held in Holland.
Jason Hackett led a low heart to Justin’s nine and declarer’s king. Declarer played a spade to dummy’s king, then a low club to her queen, which Jason ducked. A further spade forced Jason’s ace, and he now made the thoughtful return of the club 10, knowing the distribution of the suit from Justin’s initial count-signal.
On winning with dummy’s king, declarer cashed the spade queen and next, trying to keep all options open, ducked a diamond. Jason won, cashed the club ace, and with dummy now dead, exited with his last diamond. South could now only achieve eight tricks.
At the other table the first two tricks went the same way. However, after the spade king held, declarer returned to hand at trick three with the diamond ace to play another spade. West won, perforce, then returned the heart 10. (The diamond jack might have been a better play, but declarer can come home by ducking this and later finessing in diamonds against East.)
South won the second heart, played a club to the king, and cashed the spade queen. Then came a club to the queen. West had to duck to prevent declarer from scoring three club tricks, so declarer cashed his diamond king and exited with a club. Forced to win, West was endplayed and had to present declarer with his ninth trick in hearts.
ANSWER: After you have opened one no-trump, the simplest and most practical way to play your partner’s double of an overcall of two clubs is as Stayman. You can then retain transfers and all the other methods you play in an uncontested auction. Accordingly, bid two hearts now.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| â™ |
9 3 |
| ♥ |
K Q J 6 |
| ♦ |
A K 6 2 |
| ♣ |
Q 7 6 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1 NT |
2♣ |
Dbl. |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
For details of Bobby Wolff’s autobiography, The Lone Wolff, contact theLoneWolff@bridgeblogging.com. If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, please leave a comment at this blog. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2010. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact reprints@unitedmedia.com.
July 29th, 2010 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ No Comments
Dealer: East
Vul: E/W |
North |
|
| â™ |
Q J 4 |
| ♥ |
A 10 9 |
| ♦ |
10 9 4 |
| ♣ |
9 7 3 2 |
| West |
|
East |
| â™ |
10 |
â™ |
K 9 8 7 6 |
| ♥ |
J 5 4 3 2 |
♥ |
8 6 |
| ♦ |
6 5 2 |
♦ |
K 8 7 3 |
| ♣ |
J 10 6 5 |
♣ |
A Q |
| |
South |
|
| â™ |
A 5 3 2 |
| ♥ |
K Q 7 |
| ♦ |
A Q J |
| ♣ |
K 8 4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
|
1♠ |
| Dbl. |
Pass |
2♣ |
Pass |
| 2 NT |
Pass |
3 NT |
All Pass |
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead: ♠10
“The trapper shall be trapped — the biter shall be bit,
Unravelled is the web that he, poor fool, hath knit!”
– Pierre Corneille
At the Dyspeptics Club three of the four players will confirm that West is the weakest, South the luckiest cardholder, and North the possessor of the most acerbic tongue. But, although none of the others would admit it, East is the best card-player. In today’s deal South was caught by his deceptive defense.
Declaring three no-trump, South covered the opening lead of the spade 10 in dummy and ducked East’s king. Back came a spade, West pitching a heart and declarer winning in dummy to take a diamond finesse. Because of the shortages of dummy entries, South briefly considered leading a heart to dummy’s 10, but eventually crossed to the heart ace to repeat the diamond finesse, then cashed the two remaining heart winners. On the second of these, East discarded the club queen.
Unsure whether East had one diamond and two clubs left, or two diamonds and one club, South cashed the diamond ace next. When East followed with the king, declarer decided that East had the club A-J left. So South exited from hand with ace and a second spade, hoping to score his club king at the end, but East claimed the rest for down one.
As North pointed out, South could have made his life a lot easier by ducking the spade 10. Now, whether West leads a heart, diamond or club, South gains an extra entry to dummy for another finesse and takes two spades, three diamonds, three hearts and a club.
ANSWER: Experts do not agree whether this sequence shows a very strong balanced hand or a long suit with guards outside, prepared to play three no-trump facing not very much. The simplest way to advance here is to bid four no-trump, hoping partner will clarify his hand-type if he has extras.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| â™ |
Q J 4 |
| ♥ |
A 10 9 |
| ♦ |
10 9 4 |
| ♣ |
9 7 3 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
2♣ |
Pass |
| 2♦ |
Pass |
3 NT |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
For details of Bobby Wolff’s autobiography, The Lone Wolff, contact theLoneWolff@bridgeblogging.com. If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, please leave a comment at this blog. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2010. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact reprints@unitedmedia.com.
July 28th, 2010 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ No Comments
Dealer: West
Vul: All |
North |
|
| â™ |
A K J 8 |
| ♥ |
A 8 5 |
| ♦ |
A K |
| ♣ |
K 5 4 3 |
| West |
|
East |
| â™ |
5 |
â™ |
10 9 3 |
| ♥ |
K Q J 6 4 3 |
♥ |
2 |
| ♦ |
J 10 7 3 |
♦ |
8 6 5 4 2 |
| ♣ |
7 6 |
♣ |
J 10 9 2 |
| |
South |
|
| â™ |
Q 7 6 4 2 |
| ♥ |
10 9 7 |
| ♦ |
Q 9 |
| ♣ |
A Q 8 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
2♥ |
Dbl. |
Pass |
| 4♠ |
Pass |
4 NT |
Pass |
| 5♦ |
Pass |
5♥ |
Pass |
| 6♠ |
All Pass |
|
|
Opening Lead: ♥ King
“Time, you old gipsy man,
Will you not stay,
Put up your caravan
Just for one day?”
– Ralph Hodgson
Today’s deal features one of my favorite partners, Seymon Deutsch, with whom I was successful in the Venice Olympiad 22 years ago. Seymon’s leap to four spades was full-blooded (a euphemism for a slight overbid). North asked for keycards (the five aces, with the trump king counting as a fifth ace). Over the one-keycard response, North could use the first step to locate the trump queen. Without it, Deutsch would have reverted to the trump suit at the cheapest level; with it, he could cuebid a king if he had one, or jump in the trump suit if he had nothing to cuebid, as here.
The awkward duplication in diamonds makes your slam a delicate one. Deutsch won the opening heart-king lead, drew trumps, played off the top diamonds, and tested the clubs. If they broke, he would have had a home for one of the heart losers. When they did not break, Deutsch had one more chance. He knew the hearts were breaking 6-1, so East had none left. Instead of ruffing the club loser, which would then have forced him to lead a heart sooner or later and concede two tricks in that suit, he made the opponents work for him.
He played dummy’s last club and pitched a heart from hand. East was on play with only minor suits left. Whichever he led, Deutsch could discard his last heart from hand and ruff in dummy. Contract made!
ANSWER: This is an awkward hand, but the best way to keep the auction open is to give false preference to two diamonds. Raising clubs gets the values across, but it is very awkward to raise a second suit with only three-card support. No other invitational call is close to describing the hand, and rebidding spades is very ugly indeed.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| â™ |
Q 7 6 4 2 |
| ♥ |
10 9 7 |
| ♦ |
Q 9 |
| ♣ |
A Q 8 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
1♦ |
Pass |
| 1♠ |
Pass |
2♣ |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
For details of Bobby Wolff’s autobiography, The Lone Wolff, contact theLoneWolff@bridgeblogging.com. If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, please leave a comment at this blog. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2010. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact reprints@unitedmedia.com.
July 27th, 2010 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ No Comments
Dealer: North
Vul: E/W |
North |
|
| â™ |
9 7 6 |
| ♥ |
8 6 4 2 |
| ♦ |
Q 4 2 |
| ♣ |
A 6 4 |
| West |
|
East |
| â™ |
A |
â™ |
5 2 |
| ♥ |
K Q J 3 |
♥ |
10 9 7 5 |
| ♦ |
J 8 6 5 |
♦ |
K 10 7 |
| ♣ |
J 9 8 3 |
♣ |
K 10 7 2 |
| |
South |
|
| â™ |
K Q J 10 8 4 3 |
| ♥ |
A |
| ♦ |
A 9 3 |
| ♣ |
Q 5 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
Pass |
Pass |
| 4♠ |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead: ♥ King
“Time drops in decay,
Like a candle burnt out,
And the mountains and woods
Have their day, have their day.”
– W.B. Yeats
South’s hand is too strong for an opening pre-emptive bid of four spades in first or second position. However, in third seat, after his partner had passed, South made that his choice, putting maximum pressure on West.
West led the heart king, taken by the singleton ace, and declarer could count nine tricks. One of the minor-suit queens would need to stand up for the 10th. East would have to hold the club king, or West the diamond king. It becomes an all-or-nothing situation if declarer tests diamonds before clubs. But if the club king is well placed, then the position of the diamond king becomes irrelevant because a losing diamond will depart on the club ace.
Two entries to dummy outside the club suit are needed — one to play away from the club ace toward the queen, and, if successful, a second to access the ace for a diamond discard. Those entries had to come from trumps, so at trick two, declarer led the spade eight, preparing to overtake with the nine to continue with a low club.
West rose with the ace perforce and returned a heart. South carefully ruffed high so that two trump entries to dummy remained intact. Now the spade three was led to dummy’s six, and the club four played. East rose with the king and returned a heart. Again declarer ruffed high, then cashed the club queen and overtook the spade four with the nine to cash the club ace for a diamond discard.
ANSWER: Although it is not without risk, your best way into this auction is to pass on the first round (as you did), then double for takeout at your second turn. Because this auction is live — West has not limited his hand — you show opening values and takeout of spades. You rate to have club length here, although this is not strictly guaranteed.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| â™ |
A |
| ♥ |
K Q J 3 |
| ♦ |
J 8 6 5 |
| ♣ |
J 9 8 3 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
|
1♣ |
| Pass |
1♠ |
Pass |
2♠ |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
For details of Bobby Wolff’s autobiography, The Lone Wolff, contact theLoneWolff@bridgeblogging.com. If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, please leave a comment at this blog. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2010. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact reprints@unitedmedia.com.
July 26th, 2010 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ 3 Comments
Dealer: North
Vul: All |
North |
|
| â™ |
3 |
| ♥ |
A 5 4 2 |
| ♦ |
K 7 |
| ♣ |
A K J 8 7 5 |
| West |
|
East |
| â™ |
A K 8 6 5 2 |
â™ |
J 10 |
| ♥ |
9 3 |
♥ |
J 10 8 7 |
| ♦ |
A J 6 5 |
♦ |
10 9 2 |
| ♣ |
Q |
♣ |
9 4 3 2 |
| |
South |
|
| â™ |
Q 9 7 4 |
| ♥ |
K Q 6 |
| ♦ |
Q 8 4 3 |
| ♣ |
10 6 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
1♣ |
Pass |
| 1♠ |
Pass |
2♥ |
Pass |
| 3 NT |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead: ♠6
“It is so easy to exchange meaning; it is so easy to see the difference.”
– Gertrude Stein
Consider North-South’s club suit in today’s three-no-trump contract, without looking at East–West’s cards. At first glance it seems there is little room for maneuvering. Either the finesse works, or it does not. Well, there is more to it than that.
When the deal cropped up in the Bermuda Bowl encounter between Poland and Brazil, Michael Kwiecien won the spade lead and could see that he would need to run the clubs to make his contract.
The natural play seems to be to run the club 10, then play the suit from the top if that card is covered by the queen, but Michael saw a little more deeply into the position than that. The point is that the only way three no-trump can come home is if the club queen is onside. Since declarer could not see through the backs of the cards, he was never going to negotiate a 4-1 split onside by finessing the nine on the second round. The one distribution he could easily cope with was a singleton queen onside — that would not jeopardize any other favorable lie of the cards. So after carefully leading a low club to the queen and king at trick two, he could now unblock the club 10 and was then able to return to dummy by usiing the heart ace to collect 10 tricks. That was worth a game swing when the Brazilian declarer missed the play in the other room.
ANSWER: Declarer is surely going to need to ruff hearts in dummy, and perhaps also to discard spade losers on dummy’s diamond winners. Which should come first? My guess would be to lead trumps, but I can understand the spade lead too.
LEAD WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| â™ |
K 9 3 2 |
| ♥ |
J 6 5 |
| ♦ |
Q 9 5 4 3 |
| ♣ |
6 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
|
1*♦* |
Dbl. |
1*♥* |
| 1*♠* |
Pass |
Pass |
2*♣* |
| Pass |
3*♣* |
All Pass |
|
For details of Bobby Wolff’s autobiography, The Lone Wolff, contact theLoneWolff@bridgeblogging.com. If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, please leave a comment at this blog. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2010. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact reprints@unitedmedia.com.
July 25th, 2010 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ No Comments
Dear Mr. Wolff:
How much talking is acceptable across the board between partners during the bidding? For example, your partner has opened in a suit, the bidding has come around to you, and you jump-shift. Are you allowed to say “I jump shifted”?
– Blabbermouth, Detroit, Mich.
ANSWER: No such communication is allowed. Nowadays in tournament bridge (and even in most rubber bridge games), jump bids should be preceded with the works “Skip bid, please wait.” This is not to alert partner to your jump, whether it is a weak or strong call. It is to ensure that the next player gets 10 seconds to bid. This way he does not give unauthorized information to his partner as to whether he has a problem or a straightforward call.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
I opened one heart with ♠ Q-9-8-4-3, ♥ A-K-J-9-7-3, ♦ 10, ♣ A. My partner responded one spade, I tried a jump to five spades, and my partner bid the grand slam … and the defenders cashed the diamond ace. What should I have done to explore for slam without getting too high?
– Leap of Faith, Sioux Falls, S.D.
ANSWER: I think maybe the right call is four clubs, a splinter bid showing short clubs and setting spades as trumps, planning to pass four spades. That way you do not get overboard facing a quite normal hand with four spades to one honor and no diamond ace, when even four spades is not entirely comfortable and five spades is no bargain.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
In most bridge columns South is the declarer. Is there a reason for this that I don’t understand?
– Southern Comfort, Wilmington, N.C.
|
|
ANSWER: I could make some frivolous remark about South holding better cards than the other players, but the fact is that when South is declarer, his cards are virtually in the reader’s lap. When I see a deal with North as declarer, I feel I should turn the page upside down. Maybe that’s just me, but I suspect not.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
How should I respond with ♠ 3, ♥ 9, ♦ Q-J-10-8-7-3, ♣ J-10-6-4-2, facing my partner’s two-no-trump opening? Do people still play minor-suit Stayman?
– Stuck in the Minors, Lake Worth, Fla.
ANSWER: I’d ignore the clubs and jump to five diamonds. I don’t see how clubs can play that much better than diamonds, but the reverse is certainly not true. If I offer partner the choice, he’ll get it wrong with 3-3. These days, using a three-spade response as minor-suit Stayman is a minority position. Many play it as a puppet to three no-trump to show a slam-try with one minor or both.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
I opened one club, partner responded one heart, and the next hand butted in with one spade. How much do I need to bid one no-trump now? I thought it showed extras as a free bid, but nobody agrees with me.
– Extra Credit, Union City, Tenn.
ANSWER: My view is that the rebid shows a maximum 12-14 hand with a good spade stop. You could, I suppose, upgrade some dead minimums, but I’m not sure I would do that. It certainly can’t be a balanced 15-17 or 18-19. You’d have opened one no-trump or rebid two no-trump as appropriate. And if you weren’t balanced, you would not bid no-trump now. |
If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, e-mail him at bobbywolff@mindspring.com. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2009.
July 24th, 2010 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ No Comments
Dealer: South
Vul: None |
North |
|
| â™ |
A 6 |
| ♥ |
K 9 7 5 2 |
| ♦ |
A Q |
| ♣ |
Q J 10 3 |
| West |
|
East |
| â™ |
3 |
â™ |
K Q J 10 9 8 4 |
| ♥ |
J 6 |
♥ |
Q 10 4 |
| ♦ |
10 8 7 6 |
♦ |
5 3 2 |
| ♣ |
9 8 7 6 4 2 |
♣ |
— |
| |
South |
|
| â™ |
7 5 2 |
| ♥ |
A 8 3 |
| ♦ |
K J 9 4 |
| ♣ |
A K 5 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1 NT |
Pass |
2♦ |
3♠ |
| Pass |
Pass |
Dbl. |
Pass |
| 4♥ |
Pass |
4♠ |
Pass |
| 5♣ |
Pass |
5 NT* |
Pass |
| 6♥ |
Pass |
6 NT |
All Pass |
Opening Lead: ♠3
“The full truth of this odd matter is what the world has long been looking for, and public curiosity is sure to welcome.”
– Robert Louis Stevenson
Matchpoints and bridge often seem to have only passing resemblances to each other, but here North’s decision to play the slam in no-trump as opposed to hearts was based on the idea that South might be able to come to 12 tricks without bringing the hearts in.
In fact, after a spade lead, declarer had decent chances. With spades 7-1, the best and obvious chance was to set up the hearts without allowing East in to run his spades. South was unwilling to put all his eggs in one basket, so he decided to try to find out a little about East’s side-suit pattern.
He won the spade lead in dummy, cashed the A-Q of diamonds, then came to hand with a high club as East pitched a spade. Now the king and jack of diamonds, with hearts pitched from dummy, gave South a complete count of the hand. East had only three minor-suit cards and seven spades, thus three hearts. When the last three clubs were cashed, South pitching a heart from hand, what four cards was East to come down to? If he kept fewer than three hearts, the suit would run for declarer, so he could retain only one spade. Now declarer led dummy’s second spade, setting up the remaining spade in hand for the 12th trick.
If East had turned up with length in diamonds and clubs, declarer would have gone after hearts, cashing the ace and leading up to dummy’s nine, a line that would succeed unless West had a four-card suit including all the top honors.
ANSWER: These days many play inverted minors. This means that a response of two diamonds here would show at least a limit raise and be forcing as far as two no-trump or three diamonds. This allows for exploration at a more convenient level. (The corollary is that a jump to three diamonds here would be pre-emptive.) Lacking that tool, maybe your best bet is to invent a two-club response.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| â™ |
7 5 2 |
| ♥ |
A 8 3 |
| ♦ |
K J 9 4 |
| ♣ |
A K 5 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
1♦ |
Pass |
| ? |
|
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|
| |
|
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| |
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For details of Bobby Wolff’s autobiography, The Lone Wolff, contact theLoneWolff@bridgeblogging.com. If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, please leave a comment at this blog. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2010. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact reprints@unitedmedia.com.
July 23rd, 2010 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ No Comments
Dealer: South
Vul: E/W |
North |
|
| â™ |
J 7 3 |
| ♥ |
K J 10 |
| ♦ |
Q J 10 7 |
| ♣ |
10 7 5 |
| West |
|
East |
| â™ |
— |
â™ |
K 8 6 5 |
| ♥ |
7 6 4 3 |
♥ |
Q 9 8 2 |
| ♦ |
K 5 4 2 |
♦ |
9 8 |
| ♣ |
A K Q 8 3 |
♣ |
J 6 2 |
| |
South |
|
| â™ |
A Q 10 9 4 2 |
| ♥ |
A 5 |
| ♦ |
A 6 3 |
| ♣ |
9 4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1♠ |
Dbl. |
1 NT |
2♥ |
| 2♠ |
Pass |
2♠ |
Pass |
| 4♠ |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
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|
Opening Lead: ♣ King
“How slow
Behind the course of thought, even sick with speed,
Lags leaden-footed time!”
– Percy Bysshe Shelley
One of the most unfortunate things that occurred in the Venice Cup in Bermuda 10 years ago was that a Danish star, Charlotte Koch-Palmund, took ill and had to return home in midtournament. Her presence was sorely missed, although the Danes did go on to win the bronze medal.
When Denmark met France in the early stages of the Venice Cup, Charlotte had a chance to break one of the cardinal rules on defense — but it just happened to be the only way to set the hand! Put yourself in the West seat to see what I mean.
Charlotte (West) led out three rounds of clubs against four spades. When declarer ruffed and played a heart to dummy’s king to run the spade jack, Charlotte pitched a diamond. Now declarer correctly decided to repeat the spade finesse, and when East covered the spade seven with the eight, declarer won in hand and led a low diamond up.
Charlotte hopped up with the king and made the key defensive play when she broke all the rules by giving declarer a ruff and discard — a discard she did not need. The trump in dummy had to be preserved for the spade finesse, so declarer ruffed in hand, but that gave East the chance to discard her last diamond. Now when South tried to cross to dummy with a low diamond for the trump play, East ruffed in for one down.
ANSWER: You could simply jump to four spades now, but that would be highly premature. With your aces and your diamond fit, you might make seven diamonds if your partner had the spade king, the club ace and decent diamonds. Start the exploration by setting up a forcing auction: cue-bid two hearts, planning to support diamonds, and see what develops.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| â™ |
A Q 10 9 4 2 |
| ♥ |
A 5 |
| ♦ |
A 6 3 |
| ♣ |
9 4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
1♦ |
1♥ |
| 1♠ |
Pass |
2♦ |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
For details of Bobby Wolff’s autobiography, The Lone Wolff, contact theLoneWolff@bridgeblogging.com. If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, please leave a comment at this blog. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2010. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact reprints@unitedmedia.com.
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