The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, May 8, 2010
Dealer: South
Vul: All |
North | ||||
♠ | 8 7 3 | ||||
♥ | 4 2 | ||||
♦ | A K J 8 4 | ||||
♣ | J 9 5 | ||||
West | East | ||||
♠ | Q J 9 6 | ♠ | 10 | ||
♥ | J 6 | ♥ | K 10 9 7 3 | ||
♦ | 10 | ♦ | 9 7 5 2 | ||
♣ | A K 8 6 3 2 | ♣ | Q 7 4 | ||
South | |||||
♠ | A K 5 4 2 | ||||
♥ | A Q 8 5 | ||||
♦ | Q 6 3 | ||||
♣ | 10 |
South | West | North | East |
1♠ | 2♣ | 2♠ | Pass |
3♥ | Pass | 4♠ | All Pass |
Opening Lead: ♣ King
“Martin, if dirt were trumps, what hands you would hold!”
— Charles Lamb
In the duplicate game at the Cavendish Club in Manhattan, the following hand produced much discussion. The computer analysis showed that four spades can be made — but the play is especially entertaining.
After West leads two rounds of clubs, declarer can succeed by ruffing, drawing precisely one round of trumps, then crossing to dummy with a diamond and playing on hearts. But imagine declarer takes the more normal line of playing both top trumps as East discards a discouraging heart.
Now declarer plays the diamond queen and a second diamond. If West ruffs in, the defense is over. If he takes his last trump and then plays a third club, declarer can ruff, run the diamonds, and take a heart finesse. If West plays back a club immediately, declarer can ruff and lead his third diamond to bring about the same ending.
But there is a defense. West must discard, let’s say a heart, on the second diamond. Declarer now takes the heart finesse and cashes the heart ace. If West ruffs in, he can only collect his trump tricks.
So West discards a second time, and South tempts him again by leading a low heart, and West must discard a third time. Declarer ruffs his heart loser in dummy, but when he exits with a top diamond, West can ruff in, cash his spade queen, and lead a club. South ruffs, but must concede trick 13 to East’s heart king.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
♠ | A K 5 4 2 |
♥ | A Q 8 5 |
♦ | Q 6 3 |
♣ | 10 |
South | West | North | East |
1♣ | |||
? | |||
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 2010. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].