The Aces on Bridge: Friday, August 25th, 2017
by Bobby Wolff on
September 8th, 2017
It would have made a dreadfully ugly child; but it makes rather a handsome pig, I think.
Lewis Carroll
| S | North |
|---|---|
| E-W | ♠ J 3 2 ♥ K 8 7 5 2 ♦ 9 7 ♣ Q 10 8 |
| West | East |
|---|---|
| ♠ 10 8 ♥ A Q 9 6 ♦ A K J ♣ K 9 7 3 |
♠ 7 5 4 ♥ J 10 ♦ Q 10 6 4 2 ♣ J 5 2 |
| South |
|---|
| ♠ A K Q 9 6 ♥ 4 3 ♦ 8 5 3 ♣ A 6 4 |
| South | West | North | East |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ♠ | Dbl. | 2 ♠ | Pass |
| Pass | Dbl. | Pass | 3 ♦ |
| 3 ♠ | All pass |
How many of you looked at your six-count and indicated that since you had a minimum and partner had not competed, you should pass now? If so, go to the back of the class. When you have extra shape (the fifth trump) and decent values, you are well worth a two heart call. Partner always delivers an opening bid and heart tolerance, so you must bid your hand to the full.
BID WITH THE ACES
| ♠ J 3 2 ♥ K 8 7 5 2 ♦ 9 7 ♣ Q 10 8 |
| South | West | North | East |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ♦ | Dbl. | Pass | |
| 1 ♥ | 2 ♦ | Pass | Pass |
| ? |
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Bridge-related
My favorite defense from last summer’s world junior championships in Salsomaggiore, Italy, occurred right at the end of the Youngsters final between Italy and the Netherlands.
Both tables bid in identical fashion to three spades, but in one room the Italian West led a top diamond from his sequence.
After seeing the dummy, he saw the need for a trump shift, but was already too late. Declarer could win in his hand and play another diamond. East overtook his partner’s jack to play a second trump, but declarer won in hand and could trump his losing diamond in dummy for his ninth trick and plus 140.
In the other room Leen Stougie as West found the incisive trump lead to trick one, working on the sound principle of leading trumps when you consider your side has the balance of high cards. Declarer, won in hand with the nine and led a diamond up. West made his second good play when he hopped up with the king to press on with trumps. Declarer won with his queen to play another diamond, but this time when West inserted the jack, it allowed East, Marc Stougie, to overtake with the queen to play a third trump. That disposed of the possibility of a diamond ruff in dummy.
Now declarer had to lose one heart, three diamonds and one club, to go one down.
That all added up to a 5 IMP gain for the Netherlands, but they lost the gold medal to Italy.