Aces on Bridge — Daily Columns

The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Dealer: North

Vul: All

North
K 10 7 2
8 4
8 5 4 2
8 7 2
West East
J 6 4 3 Q 9 8 5
7 5 Q 6 2
K Q J 9 10 7
J 9 4 Q 10 5 3
South
A
A K J 10 9 3
A 6 3
A K 6

 

South West North East
    Pass Pass
2 Pass 2 Pass
2 Pass 3♣* Pass
4 All Pass    
*Second negative

Opening Lead:K

“No man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks.”

— Mary Shelley


All this month I am running deals from Ron Klinger’s excellent new book, “ Right Through the Pack Again.” The playing cards have come to life and are fighting to revive the Old Master. This four-heart deal features a dialogue between the six and eight of hearts.

 

“If it wasn’t for me,” said the heart eight, “the Old Master would almost certainly have failed. If you and I swapped places,” he said to the heart six, “declarer figures to lose a heart, two diamonds and a club.”

 

“Why doesn’t South lose those tricks anyway?” asked the heart six.

 

“Because the Old Master was playing it, dummy.”

 

“Well, you needn’t get nasty,” said the heart six and walked off in a huff.

 

“The lead was the diamond king,” shouted the heart eight after him. “The Old Master took it, cashed the spade ace, and played the heart jack next. What was East to do? If he did not take the heart queen, he would lose, so he took it and returned the diamond 10.

 

“West overtook, cashed another diamond, and played a fourth diamond. East discarded one card in each black suit, but it made no difference. The Old Master ruffed the fourth diamond, played the trump three to the dummy’s eight, and discarded the club six on the spade king. After a spade ruff, the missing trump was drawn and the Old Master had 10 tricks.”


ANSWER: Your first response denied holding a decent hand; your second action suggested a maximum of six HCP. If partner is still interested in game, you surely have enough to bid four spades. Just think how much worse your hand could be!

BID WITH THE ACES

South Holds:

K 10 7 2
8 4
8 5 4 2
8 7 2

 

South West North East
  1 Dbl. Pass
1 Pass 2 Pass
2 Pass 3 Pass
?      

 


For details of Bobby Wolff’s autobiography, The Lone Wolff, contact [email protected]. If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, please leave a comment at this blog. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2009. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].