The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, August 2nd, 2017
by Bobby Wolff on
August 16th, 2017
Painters and poets alike have always had license to dare anything.
Horace
| S | North |
|---|---|
| E-W | ♠ 5 ♥ A Q 9 8 6 3 ♦ A 10 5 3 ♣ 9 3 |
| West | East |
|---|---|
| ♠ A Q 10 7 4 2 ♥ 7 ♦ K 7 4 ♣ K J 6 |
♠ 9 8 6 3 ♥ K ♦ 9 8 6 2 ♣ 10 8 7 5 |
| South |
|---|
| ♠ K J ♥ J 10 5 4 2 ♦ Q J ♣ A Q 4 2 |
| South | West | North | East |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ♥ | 1 ♠ | 2 ♠ | Pass |
| 4 ♥ | Pass | 6 ♥ | All pass |
♥7
Even if you play one spade as encouraging but not forcing – reasonable enough, though I am happy to play new suits as forcing – you should not pass now. Best is to rebid two diamonds, which is a more complete description of your hand than rebidding your hearts.
BID WITH THE ACES
| ♠ 5 ♥ A Q 9 8 6 3 ♦ A 10 5 3 ♣ 9 3 |
| South | West | North | East |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ♣ | |||
| 1 ♥ | Pass | 1 ♠ | Pass |
| ? |
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Bridge-related
This deal came to me from a reader, Scott Nason of Dallas, who remarked on his partner’s presumptuousness in driving to a slam missing two keycards – and then some. But he also accepted full responsibility for failing to bring home the optimistic contract. Could you have done better?
When Scott’s LHO led the heart two Scott rose with the ace, feeling confident that this particular West would not have led small from the doubleton king. The king fell from East, so the first hurdle had been crossed. But don’t relax; you need to plan the rest of the play.
Without any bidding from the opponents, the best line would probably be to play a spade toward hand, and put in the jack if RHO plays small. (If East is good enough to duck dummy’s singleton while holding the ace, you should pay off to him.) If the jack fetches the ace, the plan is to pitch a club on the king, and take the diamond finesse for the 12th trick.
But, since West had actually made a one-spade overcall, I think the best line is to play a heart to hand and put the diamond queen on the table. It is covered by the king, so you win the ace, and play a diamond to the jack. Now lead a heart to the board, and cash the diamond ace, pitching the spade jack. Then, ruff the last diamond and exit with the spade king to endplay your LHO.
If Scott had done all of that, he would have had a deal to remember.