The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, November 14th, 2012
It's an odd job, making decent people laugh.
Moliere
| South | North |
|---|---|
| Both | ♠ 8 6 4 3 ♥ Q 3 ♦ Q 3 ♣ A 10 8 7 3 |
| West | East |
|---|---|
| ♠ A Q J 5 ♥ 9 4 ♦ A K 5 2 ♣ 6 5 2 |
♠ K ♥ 10 2 ♦ J 10 9 8 7 6 4 ♣ Q J 9 |
| South |
|---|
| ♠ 10 9 7 2 ♥ A K J 8 7 6 5 ♦ — ♣ K 4 |
| South | West | North | East |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1♥ | Dbl. | 1 NT* | 2♦ |
| 4♥ | Dbl. | All pass |
*Clubs
Your choice!
Kit Woolsey reported that Fred Stewart found an amusing play in the following deal from the first final session of a recent Life Master Open Pairs.
But before we get to Fred, look at that West hand and plan the defense to four hearts.
It is highly unlikely that two rounds of diamonds will stand up. Since declarer’s clubs threaten to take care of his spade losers, it feels like you should take an active role in the defense and go after our tricks quickly.
If you think about it, surely the best way to beat four hearts has to be to put partner on lead to play spades through declarer’s presumed king —isn’t it? So our unnamed hero (or was it goat?) in the West seat led a low diamond. Imaginative and unlucky, you may say, but only if Stewart put up the diamond queen at the first trick — and he did! That was his 10th trick for a great score.
Of course the purists would point out that with hearts and clubs splitting, there were always 10 tricks except on the lead of the spade ace. Declarer could ruff out the clubs and end up in dummy after drawing trump in two rounds. He could have fallen back on the spades splitting if that line wasn’t going to work — but this was more fun, wasn’t it?
What an impossible problem! After your partner's bid of the fourth suit, raising hearts would be acceptable with a doubleton honor, but not really here, while bidding two no-trump without a stopper is inelegant. Some play that a two-spade call here would show this hand — but you would be in trouble if partner believed that it showed five spades and six diamonds! Maybe two no-trump is the least lie.
BID WITH THE ACES
| ♠ A Q J 5 ♥ 9 4 ♦ A K 5 2 ♣ 6 5 2 |
| South | West | North | East |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1♦ | Pass | 1♥ | Pass |
| 1♠ | Pass | 2♣ | Pass |
| ? |
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Ace of spades lead beats 4H, of course.
Oops, you already said that.
The über purists would point out that Mr. Stewart actually made 11 tricks–by following your line of play after winning the diamond queen.
Hi Mr. Wolff,
On the BWTA problem, you can see why the 12-14 NT is so popular in the UK even with all the points in 2 suits. Hand shapes get bent regularly (5422, 6322 and even 5332 with a poor 5 card major) for the sheer joy of taking up bidding space and not having to think too hard!
Regards,
Iain Climie
Hi Mr Wolff
In bid with the aces isnt 2D bid an option ? 1 D bid promises 3 cards only so with 4 2 D shouldnt be a bad bid over fourth suit with no attractive heart or NT options.
regards
Shantanu Rastogi
Hi Folks,
Good idea Shantanu, especially as I think the sequence is still forcing – typically to at least 2NT. Is there a default agreement on 4SF here?
Iain
David –
Our Host said only that the QD was the tenth trick and that Mr. Stewart got a great score.
He would not have gotten that great score by cashing out the ten tricks because, as the column points out, simply clubs will set up on one ruff.
I did wonder at 10 versus 11 versus 12 but I already had to change my siggy once this week.
Hi David,
Fred might have made 12 tricks after putting up the queen of diamonds at trick 1. 1 diamond, 7 hearts and 4 clubs create that unusual total.
Hi Iain,
Yes WNT do create unusual results by distorting the bidding (as opposed to other tables), trading preemption for more science, sometimes more risk than conservatism, but always exciting.
Hi Shantanu,
First the above two comments and continuations are from the male wolf rather than the female wolf making me a werewolf.
Yes, Shantanu, 2 diamonds is the default choice, keeping the bidding lower, perhaps the least lie, but still endangering creating a wrong picture.
Hi Iain,
4th suit should be game forcing in even Acol, however I am no expert on that system, even though of all systems, it is perhaps my favorite structured one.
Hi Jim,
Yes, 12 tricks are possible as pointed out by now, at least two of us.
It’s an odd job, making Bridge people laugh.
_ Kit Woolsey, in collaboration with Fred Stewart.
Hi Michael,
Someone once commented to me later “that when he saw me coming into the room, he began laughing”.
I have often wondered exactly what he meant when he said it? Oh well, I’ll assume he told me that, intending to offer me good cheer.