The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, October 31st, 2015
People count up the faults of those who keep them waiting.
French Proverb
| E | North |
|---|---|
| None | ♠ Q 10 7 3 ♥ 9 8 5 ♦ A 3 ♣ A Q 10 6 |
| West | East |
|---|---|
| ♠ 8 2 ♥ Q 7 3 ♦ J 7 6 4 ♣ 7 5 4 3 |
♠ 5 4 ♥ A K J 6 4 ♦ K 9 2 ♣ K J 2 |
| South |
|---|
| ♠ A K J 9 6 ♥ 10 2 ♦ Q 10 8 5 ♣ 9 8 |
| South | West | North | East |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ♥ | |||
| 1 ♠ | Pass | 4 ♠ | All pass |
♥3
Today’s theme emphasizes the fact that it is essential for the defenders to try to count declarer’s hand. East failed to do the necessary work, and paid the penalty.
West led the heart three against four spades and East won. Although he might have underled in hearts on the second round, this seemed an unnecessary gamble, so he continued the suit from the top.
Declarer ruffed the third heart and drew trump in two rounds with the queen and ace. He continued by running the club nine to East’s jack. A heart lead would now concede a ruff and discard and a club appeared suicidal, being straight into dummy’s ace-queen. So East decided to lead a low diamond.
There was the chance that West might hold the queen or that South might misguess or that declarer would still be left with a club loser. However, declarer went up with the queen and when this held, could now claim his contract on a cross-ruff.
What did East see, all too late, that prompted subsequent selfflagellation? That the apparently foolish club return was in fact safe! South was known to have started with five spades and two hearts – hence he held six cards in the minor suits. However they were distributed, he would not be able to get enough discards on dummy’s clubs and East would be bound to come to his diamond king at the end.
Admittedly had East underled in hearts at trick two the defenders could have defeated the hand more easily, but this would have been fatal on a different day.
You would have passed out two clubs had your RHO not bid. As it is, should you redouble, and try to make him pay for his indiscretion? I think so. You hope to get your partner to double a call of two hearts to your left, or perhaps to rebid three clubs, with extra offense and maybe a seven-card club suit. Incidentally, passing then doubling, would be the way to prevent partner exercising judgment.
BID WITH THE ACES
| ♠ A K J 9 6 ♥ 10 2 ♦ Q 10 8 5 ♣ 9 8 |
| South | West | North | East |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ♣ | Pass | ||
| 1 ♠ | Pass | 2 ♣ | Dbl. |
| ? |
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Bridge-related
The West hand looks like a textbook QH lead (no entry and no notrump bid). East follows small for a club shift.
Hi Jim2,
Yes, you have seized the opportunity for a lesson in expediency. However, as in some hands, by doing so, the defense might have a chance to go off the rails especially if Dame Fortune is on the warpath.
What if East had: s. A, h. AKJxx d. Qxx, c. xxxx or: s. A, h. AKJxx, d. KQx, c. xxxx and feared his partner to have s. xx, h. Qx, d. Jxxxx , c. xxxx leaving declarer with possibly or something similar to: s. KJ98xx, h. 1073, d. K10, c. KJ or s. KJ98xx, h. xx, d. xxx c. KJ so to prevent a defensive glitch he caused one by overtaking and continuing twice.
Nothing above negates your intelligent logic, but as has been said many times before, the game of bridge is the master and it is wise never to dispute that, but if in doubt, just ask an unlucky fella who may suffer from TOCM TM.
I am confused and don’t have time to analyze, but how does West leading small defeat those layouts?
Hi Jim2,
The low lead will establish to East that the third heart will not cash, enabling a diamond switch either by East or by leading a low heart (at trick 2) to West (presuming he knows that lead needs to be from an honor, yes a big presumption or just a chance taking lead away from the diamond king as a risk, but often a winning one.
All of the subject hands are contrived, but the possible problem arises because of the originality of the opening leader in leading the Q from more than 2.
Hi Jim2, Bobby,
I know the heart suit ambiguity today is why some players would lead a middle heart from 107x although that too can cause problems. I would have thought that TOCM today would have found North with HKx opposite South’s J9x if west tried the HQ or possibly south would have KJx. If west tries a normal small H lead, of course, it would be his only chance to hold the lead and find the killer switch. Annoying to say the least.
On BWTA, if east had passed would you have bid 2D or left partner quietly in 2C?
regards,
Iain
Hi Iain,
Yes, there are all kinds of theories about what to do, if and when, but, since exceptions seem to be the rule, you show me a good reason why and I’ll show you, why not.
A long time ago, and in a regular rubber bridge game there used to be a workable rule, “Let The Winner Explain”! However, since that title passed from player to player, nothing much was learned then, either.
Yes, I would let partner try and make his 2 clubs, but one word to the wise. I would raise to 2 spades holding: s. xxx, h. x, d. Kxx, c. AKJxxx instead of merely rebidding clubs, partly to let partner know that when I do not, I will not have 3 trumps for him unless I happen to be 4-3-3-3 when I will rebid 1NT.
Does it always work? Heavens NO! but it does add some discipline to bidding judgment, not to mention the sort of good feeling players get when their partner’s do raise them. It also improves one’s dummy play to wrestle with 4-3 fits, but I am sure you’ve played a few of those, also. However the one caveat necessary is never for the original responder to ever rebid a 4 card suit even if supported, as long as it is not with a jump.