The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, June 23rd, 2016
Back of the bar, in a solo game, was Dangerous Dan McGrew
And watching his luck was his light-o’-love, the lady that’s known as Lou.
Robert Service
| l | North |
|---|---|
| ♠ A Q 7 ♥ A 9 7 4 3 2 ♦ K J 10 ♣ 3 |
| West | East |
|---|---|
| ♠ J 9 6 4 2 ♥ 8 6 ♦ Q 4 3 2 ♣ A 2 5 4 |
♠ — ♥ K Q J 10 ♦ 9 5 ♣ K Q J 10 9 |
| South |
|---|
| ♠ K 10 8 5 3 ♥ 5 ♦ A 8 7 6 ♣ 8 7 6 |
| South | West | North | East |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass | 1 ♥ | 4 ♣ | |
| Pass | Pass | Dbl. | Pass |
| 4 ♠ | All pass |
♣A
Today’s hand comes from the 2015 European Open Championships, since this week the 2016 European Championships are taking place in Budapest. The deal shows two very different approaches with the North-South cards, one very successful, one not.
At one table North took a very cautious view. He heard his partner double two clubs and bid only two hearts – a cautious view opposite a partner who’d shown some values. And North might well have balanced with a double when three clubs came back around to him. Whether that would have got his side to game or not is quite another matter. As it was, it was only the heart ruff that held East to nine tricks for plus 110.
In the other room, with at least one club loser, a guess for the diamond queen, not to mention 5-0 trump, the contract of four spades was in severe jeopardy. Berend van den Bos led the club ace and another club to tap the dummy. Declarer, Simon De Wijs got the bad news when he cashed the spade ace. He played off the heart ace and ruffed another one low, ruffed a club with the spade queen (as West discarded a diamond), then played the ace, king and a third diamond.
Poor West was in and had nothing but trumps remaining. Declarer won the forced return with his eight and led the thirteenth diamond. West had to ruff that again, and lead another spade, this time into declarer’s K-10 tenace. That meant declarer had 420 and a gain of 11 IMPs.
You cannot be sure whose hand it is, but as a passed hand prepared to commit your side to four spades, you can surely afford to make a splinter raise, with a call of four hearts en route. You want to help partner judge whether to bid on or defend, if the opponents compete to the five-level. You have nothing to spare in high cards, I admit.
BID WITH THE ACES
| ♠ K 10 8 5 3 ♥ 5 ♦ A 8 7 6 ♣ 8 7 6 |
| South | West | North | East |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass | 1 ♦ | 1 ♠ | Dbl. |
| ? |
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Bridge-related
Hello Mr Wolff
Deal diagram is not correct. West is shown to have 15 cards and East 11. I think West should have two less Clubs.
best regards
Shantanu Rastogi
Ah, that explains the 4C overcall! I knew something was wrong.
On BWTA, if the opponents do play 5H, declarer will know how to play the trump suit.
Hi Shantanu,
Horrors! Yes East should own West’s 5 and 4 of clubs, making 7 in total: 0-4-2-7.
Talk about Jim2’s affliction TOCM (theory of card migration), poor East was left with two less clubs for his jump bid to 4 clubs at one table.
Sorry for the unforgivable distraction.,
Hi Slar,
Apologies for the blatant error.
I hope declarer’s brilliant play helped to make up for it, that is if you were still able to follow the play.
Hi Jim2,
Not only what you fear, but why allow the opponents to now on percentage have better judgment in the bidding (not to mention an extra round to gradate their strength), make better opening leads, and, as you suggested, play the hand perfectly if and when they somehow become declarer.
Of course, since we honored your card migration disease by showing up true card travel in the bidding diagram, I also will 100% agree with your assessment that the “splinter” will help the opponents more than it helps partner, North.
And what about if North doesn’t recognize South’s bid as a splinter? Fun & games at the bridge table, but more reason to have complete discussions beforehand.
And finally, not a good day for the race. If asked which race, the reply, “The human race”!
I agree that it is a good hand. It is a good feeling when you can engineer an endplay. On the other hand,
“Getting endplayed sucks.” – Sylvia Shi (in a recent webcast)
Maybe not the most eloquent way of saying it, but I certainly agree with the sentiment.
Did your response to me mean that — contrary to the BWTA answer — that you think 4S is the better call?
Hi Slar,
A very good competitive instinct is to hate to lose and do whatever can mentally and legally done to prevent it.
The best competitive instinct is said above, but with the added caveat of admiring an opponent who has the skill of making great apple sauce out of just apples.
Hi Jim2,
Yes, but only by bounds and leaps.
Finally, to quote the Raven, “never more”.
Edgar Allan Poe