The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, September 6th, 2017
by Bobby Wolff on
September 20th, 2017
Most roads lead men homewards,
My road leads me forth.
John Masefield
| S | North |
|---|---|
| N-S | ♠ A K J 9 ♥ A J 5 ♦ A K 4 ♣ 7 5 2 |
| West | East |
|---|---|
| ♠ 7 ♥ 9 7 6 3 2 ♦ Q 10 7 5 ♣ K 10 8 |
♠ 10 8 6 4 3 ♥ Q 8 4 ♦ 2 ♣ J 9 4 3 |
| South |
|---|
| ♠ Q 5 2 ♥ K 10 ♦ J 9 8 6 3 ♣ A Q 6 |
| South | West | North | East |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ♦ | Pass | 1 ♠ | Pass |
| 1 NT | Pass | 6 NT | All pass |
♥7
Do you see my megaphone? I am about to speak very loudly and clearly. Never overcall at the two-level in direct seat on a suit like this. A take-out double may lead to your missing a 5-3 diamond fit but that is hardly the end of the world. Conversely, overcalling here may get you into all kinds of trouble. I would pass a one spade opener, by the way, considering there to be no serious second choice.
BID WITH THE ACES
| ♠ Q 5 2 ♥ K 10 ♦ J 9 8 6 3 ♣ A Q 6 |
| South | West | North | East |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass | 1 ♥ | ||
| ? |
Subscribe to our feed
Bridge-related
Consider in abstract how to play today’s diamond suit of J-9-8-6-3 facing A-K-4 to give yourself the best chance of four tricks? Best is to cash the ace, in case an honor falls, then cross back to the other hand in a second suit, and lead the nine, letting it run unless the next opponent shows out.
Now look at today’s deal, where South ended in six no-trump and West led the heart three. Declarer needed to generate two extra tricks from diamonds, so he played low from the table and won East’s queen with the king. A top diamond saw both opponents follow suit, but only now did declarer realize he was short of the entries to hand that he needed for the safety play in diamonds.
He was reduced to playing off the second top diamond, hoping for the suit to break. However, when East showed out, the contract was doomed.
Declarer had exactly the right idea, but had miscalculated the entries needed to the South hand. Try the effect of the heart jack from dummy at the first trick. Whether East can cover or not, declarer has ensured an extra entry to hand when he needs it.
He now cashes a top diamond, comes to hand with a heart, and leads the diamond nine. West plays low and, as planned, declarer follows low from dummy. If it loses, he can claim the balance. When the nine wins, he can cash dummy’s diamond winner, return to hand with the spade queen, and force out the diamond queen to claim 12 tricks.