The Aces on Bridge: Monday, March 27th, 2017
by Bobby Wolff on
April 10th, 2017
I never resist temptation, because I have found things that are bad for me do not tempt me.
George Bernard Shaw
| S | North |
|---|---|
| N-S | ♠ A 7 6 ♥ Q J 7 2 ♦ Q 7 6 ♣ J 3 2 |
| West | East |
|---|---|
| ♠ Q J 10 4 ♥ 8 3 ♦ 8 5 4 3 2 ♣ 10 4 |
♠ K 8 5 ♥ K 6 5 4 ♦ 10 9 ♣ K Q 8 5 |
| South |
|---|
| ♠ 9 3 2 ♥ A 10 9 ♦ A K J ♣ A 9 7 6 |
| South | West | North | East |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 NT | Pass | 2 ♣ | Pass |
| 2 ♦ | Pass | 3 NT | All pass |
♠Q
Dummy is surely going to put down a ruffing value either in spades or clubs – and you know your trumps won’t play a role on defense. I’d guess to lead trump to kill as many ruffs as I can, rather than do declarer’s work for him. Leading partner’s suit is all well and good, but you are also allowed to think for yourself.
LEAD WITH THE ACES
| ♠ J 2 ♥ Q J 9 5 ♦ 9 6 3 ♣ K Q 8 5 |
| South | West | North | East |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ♦ | |||
| Pass | 1 ♥ | 1 ♠ | 1 NT |
| Pass | 2 ♦ | All pass |
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Bridge-related
Times are changing somewhat since I learned the game of bridge as to whether success can most easily obtained by playing well or making your opponents play badly. One aspect of this is whether to look for major suit fits facing a one no-trump opener, or whether to blast out three no-trump when you have a balanced hand with a four-card major, thus giving away less information.
In today’s hand I would say Stayman is optional for North, but as it turns out, South will end up in three no-trump whatever North does.
Against three no-trump West should lead the spade queen, and South must hold up dummy’s ace for two rounds in an attempt to cut the defenders’ communications. But it is the next trick that is critical for the success or failure of the contract.
When the heart queen is led from dummy, East must refuse to cover it, and he must also resist the urge to cover when the jack comes next. The point is that his own intermediates are so weak that he knows he can never build a trick for himself, much less his partner, who cannot hold more than two cards in hearts from the play thus far.
Provided East saves his king, declarer will end up one trick short in his contract. He has one spade, one club, plus three tricks in each red suit, but no more. If East covers either the first or second heart, declarer should collect four heart tricks, and East will have a red face.