The Aces on Bridge: Friday, September 4, 2009
Dealer: East
Vul: N/S |
North | ||||
♠ | A Q 7 | ||||
♥ | Q 7 6 4 2 | ||||
♦ | A Q 8 4 | ||||
♣ | 10 | ||||
West | East | ||||
♠ | K 8 2 | ♠ | 10 6 4 | ||
♥ | K J 10 8 | ♥ | — | ||
♦ | K 9 7 6 | ♦ | J 10 5 | ||
♣ | A 7 | ♣ | K Q J 8 5 3 2 | ||
South | |||||
♠ | J 9 5 3 | ||||
♥ | A 9 5 3 | ||||
♦ | 3 2 | ||||
♣ | 9 6 4 |
South | West | North | East |
3♣ | |||
Pass | Pass | Dbl. | Pass |
3♠ | All Pass | ||
Opening Lead:♣A
“Accidents will occur in the best-regulated families.”
— Charles Dickens
In today’s deal South responded three spades to his partner’s double, thinking that if he was forced to bid again, it would be more economical to have bid the higher suit first. However, it is surely better to bid hearts first, as partner might now conveniently introduce a spade suit, whereas it would be much harder to introduce hearts over three spades.
Against three spades West led the club ace, on which East dropped the king as suit-preference. West obediently switched to the heart jack, ruffed by East, who continued with the club queen.
South ruffed in dummy and played the ace and queen of spades. West won the king and played a diamond won by dummy’s queen. Now a heart to the ace was the entry to draw West’s last trump. Another heart was played, South eventually disposing of his losing club on dummy’s long heart. So three spades came home.
After the top club lead and heart shift, there are two implausible ways to set the hand: East can refuse to ruff the heart jack, or equally curiously, West can duck the spade queen.
In the other room South played in three hearts and received the lead of ace and another club. He ruffed, played the heart ace, and now instead of taking the diamond finesse, led another heart. West ducked, locking the lead in dummy. West could win his spade king to draw trumps, then collect a minor-suit winner at the end for down one.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
♠ | A Q 7 |
♥ | Q 7 6 4 2 |
♦ | A Q 8 4 |
♣ | 10 |
South | West | North | East |
1♥ | Pass | 1♠ | 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].
So declarer should ruff with the spade queen at trick 3. 🙂
Hi David,
Right you are. I feel like the patsy, while at a carnival having the masses throw cream pies (or worse) at my unprotected head. Actually though you represent the incredibly sharp bridge expert group who, I am proud to say, read what is being written.
Thank you and continue keeping us on our toes and off the ones of the public.
Bobby
Sept. 3 column. S can also succeed, after eliminating diamonds and 3 rounds of spades, by playing the club queen and another club, throwing E in and forcing him to lead diamonds, losing only when W has queen-ten doubleton. This play is 90%m which is pretty good but not as good as the actual line which is 100%.