Aces on Bridge — Daily Columns

The Aces on Bridge: Friday, March 6th, 2015

by Bobby Wolff on March 20th, 2015

There are more ways of killing a cat than by choking it with cream, but I'm not sure that it's not the best way.

(Saki) H. H. Munro

South North
North-South ♠ A 10 8 3
♥ Q 5 2
♦ A 8 5
♣ K 8 5
West East
♠ K Q J 7 4
♥ 10
♦ 10 9 4
♣ Q 9 6 4		 ♠ 5 2
♥ K 9 8 7
♦ Q 7 6 2
♣ J 10 3
South
♠ 9 6
♥ A J 6 4 3
♦ K J 3
♣ A 7 2
South West North East
1♥ 2♠ Dbl. Pass
3♣ Pass 4♥ All pass

♠K

There was scope for more than one successful line of play in four hearts on this deal from the Seniors' Pairs in San Remo.

French star Christian Mari reached that spot after West had overcalled two spades. West led the spade king, which declarer won and immediately returned a spade. West now helpfully switched to a diamond. This was won by the jack and declarer now led a low heart to the queen and king, and East returned a trump.

Declarer now cashed the diamond king and ace, and led a spade. East discarded a club and declarer ruffed. Next came the club ace and king and the fourth spade. Whatever East did, Mari was home, the winning trump and winning club falling together on the last trick.

At another table Paul Hackett declared four hearts on an uncontested auction after South had opened one no-trump. Here West led the spade king and Hackett won and finessed in hearts, West playing the 10. Hackett now exited with a spade and West won and switched to a club. Declarer took all his minor-suit winners, including finessing in diamonds, then led a third spade from the dummy. When East discarded, declarer ruffed and exited with a club to West.

At this stage North held the doubleton heart Q-5 plus a spade, while East held K-9-8 in hearts and South A-6-4. West exited with a spade which East ruffed with the eight. South underruffed, and East had to concede the last two tricks.

I think you have enough to bid two no-trump, trying for game. In context your hand is certainly not a dead minimum, and you have already denied as much as a decent nine-count, so you could argue that you are close to a maximum for the bidding thus far. With the spade queen instead of the five you would drive your hand to game here.

BID WITH THE ACES

♠ 5 2
♥ K 9 8 7
♦ Q 7 6 2
♣ J 10 3
South West North East
2♦ Dbl. Pass
2♥ Pass 2♠ Pass
?      

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 2015. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact reprints@unitedmedia.com.

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2 Comments

Iain ClimieMarch 20th, 2015 at 11:07 pm

Hi Bobby,

I’m glad I wasn’t North. I’d have bid an unsubtle 3N on the first or second round, taken the spade lead and played a heart to the A guarding against stiff K offside then accepted losing 2 hearts and 2 spades. That would have been far less interesting, with my caveman style clubbing the delicate crystal of today’s declarer play.

regards,

Iain

Bobby WolffMarch 21st, 2015 at 12:47 am

Hi Iain,

Yes, you and I would have been seduced by the A1083 resulting in 3NT not 4 hearts.

Such is life in the fast lane of trying to make all crucial situations correct. Gotta get used to its not gonna happen.