The Aces on Bridge: Monday, October 6th, 2014
We should look long and carefully at ourselves before we pass judgment on others.
Moliere
| West | North |
|---|---|
| North-South | ♠ A K ♥ A J 6 4 ♦ K 10 2 ♣ J 8 3 2 |
| West | East |
|---|---|
| ♠ J 2 ♥ K Q 9 ♦ Q J 8 7 4 ♣ A Q 10 |
♠ 10 9 8 7 3 ♥ 7 3 2 ♦ 5 3 ♣ 9 7 4 |
| South |
|---|
| ♠ Q 6 5 4 ♥ 10 8 5 ♦ A 9 6 ♣ K 6 5 |
| South | West | North | East |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 NT | Dbl. | 2♠ | |
| 3 NT | All pass |
♦Q
On the lead of the diamond queen against three no-trump, South correctly assumed this would assure his side of three tricks in the suit. A moment's less euphoria and a little more thought would have brought his contact home.
But without giving the matter enough thought, South made the play that most of us would have made when he won West’s lead of the diamond queen with the ace, removing his only sure entry to his hand.
He continued with a low heart from hand, West playing the queen, and dummy’s ace winning. Next, declarer unblocked the spade ace and king and followed with the heart jack from dummy, hoping to create an entry to his hand with the 10 — but West thoughtfully held off. Declarer played another heart, and West won and exited with a diamond. South duly made three diamond tricks, but now there was no way to reach the spade queen, and the defense ended with two clubs, two diamonds and a heart trick.
As West was known to hold all the high cards, South should have won the opening lead with dummy’s diamond king, cashed the two top spades, then led a low heart to the 10. If West ducks this, declarer can now cash the spade queen, then continue playing on hearts. Should West take the heart, he can do no better than exit with one. Now declarer takes the heart winners, pitching a spade from hand, and runs the club jack, forcing West to give declarer a trick and an entry.
While a case could be made for a club lead, in a sense the only person who has bid clubs is East. North's one club didn't really show clubs here, so I would be tempted to lead the spade nine, on the grounds that this is the suit least likely to cost a trick.
LEAD WITH THE ACES
| ♠ 9 8 6 4 ♥ Q 10 2 ♦ J 3 2 ♣ Q 7 3 |
| South | West | North | East |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass | Pass | 1♣ | 1 NT |
| Pass | 2♦ | Pass | 2♥ |
| All pass |
Subscribe to our feed
Bridge-related
I want to comment on today’s (Oct 20, 2014) column but can’t find it on your web site. The most recent column seems to be Oct 6.
Question: By ducking the heart king lead and discarding the club 6 when west continues hearts (or any other lead) can’t the contract be made by playing the heart and club aces and cross-ruffing hearts and clubs?
Ted Wallenius –
There is a two week lag between print and web. It is a contract thing.
We’ll still be here in two weeks, promise!
Dear Bobby,
I am a relatively new bridge player. In reading your column, I find your explanations about the play quite helpful. I wonder why you don’t comment about the bidding. I find that part of the game harder to grasp than the actual play and it would be helpful to me for you to explain why the bidding goes as it does.
Hi Ted and indirectly, but thankfully Jim2,
Yes, in order for my client newspapers to have a “scoop” with the current columns, they need and are certainly entitled to have the right to first presentation for original view.
Hence, an accurate comment by my good friend and fellow bridge lover, Jim2. He and I hope to hear from you again on November 10th and/or before on all things bridge.
Hi Marty,
Only lack of space requirements restrict deeper participation on any one column chosen.
Yes, bidding and play are equally important in the maturation of a bridge enthusiast into a bridge lover. My guess is when you hopefully continue your bridge learning, similar to the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City, you will eventually, if not sooner, learn and master bridge bidding first, long before the more difficult and challenging declarer play and defense becomes bridge ordered.
You are already ahead of the curve when the play seems easier, and, if so, you are indeed a wonderful prospect to soon be able to both receive satisfaction and impress others as your entire game develops. I will suggest you buy a couple of recommended bridge bidding books to supplement your daily column reading as an excellent way to get there from here.
Good luck and join our bridge family right here on this site. If you are interested in what to buy, either some of your bridge playing friends will advise, or, if asked, others on this site will surely chime in as soon as they know at what stage you are currently. Your sincere comments will always be welcome.
Hi Ted,
Oops my numeracy is way off, since November 10th should be November 3rd for the October 20th real column. Please forgive.
Please comment on declaring how you bid. Weak 2’s or Strong 2’s. Does it help for your partner to know this? Just because you declare weak 2’s it doesn’t stop you from biding a Strong 2 bid if your hand. How would your partner know that it is not a weak 2 bid.
Hi Elena,
The laws and ethics of bridge require all partnerships to declare what they are playing (what their bids mean) to their opponents.
When that is done, both the opponents and the bidding partnership are now aware of what their bids mean. Yes, there are weak two bids (popular for about 60+ years) and strong two bids popular before then but rare in today’s higher level games.
The laws then help both the declaring partnerships and their worthy opponents understand together what the bids are supposed to mean.
Bridge, possibly more than any other fierce competition, is dependent on a strict ethical code which demands compliance. This fact tends to emphasize skill and execution rather than sneak attacks.
Good luck!