Aces on Bridge — Daily Columns

The Aces on Bridge: Monday, February 7th, 2011

by admin on February 21st, 2011
Dealer: North

Vul: Neither

 North

♠ 10 6

♥ K J 9 4

♦ 7 4 2

♣ 10 9 4 3
West

♠ J 7 5

♥ Q 10 8 6 3

♦ J 9 8 3

♣ 2

 East

♠ A K Q 9 8 42

♥ 7

♦ K Q 10 5

♣ 6
South

♠ 3

♥ A 5 2

♦ A 6

♣ A K Q J 8 7 5

 

South West North East
Pass 1 ♠
Dbl. Pass 2 ♥ 4 ♠
5 ♣ 5 ♠ 6 ♣ Pass
Pass Dbl. All Pass

Opening Lead: ♠ five

“Children, you are very little,

And your bones are very brittle;

If you would grow great and stately,

You must try to walk sedately.”

— Robert Louis Stevenson

One of my main concerns with the administration of bridge is that proper care and attention be taken to foster the development of the game in schools and universities.

 

In Europe, school championships and girls’ championships run at the same time as the Junior European championships. This means talented players in their teens get a chance to meet their peers and develop faster. Over the years I have seen some of the more successful players move through the ranks, representing their countries both at junior level and later in the open events.

 

In Romania in 2009 the bulletins discussed a nice play produced by Turkey’s Ozge Tekin against Italy in the girls’ championships.

 

A spirited auction saw Tekin declaring six clubs doubled on the lead of the spade five. Italy’s Giorgia Botta won the ace and switched to the diamond king. Tekin won the ace, drew trumps, and now needed to negotiate the heart suit for four tricks to bring home her slam.

 

Because East had bid to four spades on her own and seemed to have diamond strength if not length also, Tekin judged her to be short in hearts. So she cashed the heart ace and finessed the nine on the second round of the suit.

 

She came back to hand with a trump and finessed the heart jack, making12 tricks for a magnificent score of 1090.

BID WITH THE ACES

South Holds:

♠ Q 2
♥ 10 7 6 3 2
♦ A 4 2
♣ 8 7 3

 

South West North East
1 ♦ Pass 1 ♥
Pass 2 ♦ Pass 3 ♥
Pass 4 ♥ All Pass
ANSWER: If the opponents had bid confidently to game and if the cards appear to be lying well for them, I would understand the lead of the spade queen. However, the opponents have no values to spare, trumps are not breaking, and partner did not overcall in spades. This all points to a passive club lead — whether you lead the eight or three is up to you.

 

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 2011. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact reprints@unitedmedia.com.

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