Aces on Bridge — Daily Columns

The Aces on Bridge: Friday, March 13th, 2020


3 Comments

Bobby WolffMarch 27th, 2020 at 1:59 pm

Hi everyone,

And East was heard to cry, “Forked again”, but knowing full well he forked himself by not prematurely for the declarer, leading his third heart.

However, as the column states, South should have led a low club from dummy at trick #4, instead of a second spade, postponing the drawing of trump, but for, what could have been, a critical cause.

The end result made Cardinal Morton famous in a game he didn’t even know how to play, while making his boss, Henry VII, an unnecessarily rich man.

And Booth shot a man like Lincoln, making life sometimes difficult to understand.

A V Ramana RaoMarch 28th, 2020 at 3:48 am

Hi Dear Mr Wolff
Morton’s fork perhaps occurs many times in day to day play but the ability to recognise it separates winners from losers. The column hand and your post in the comment section nicely dwells on the execution and pitfalls in the play. And a small point. Had West paid heed to South’s NT over East’s bid, perhaps he would have led a natural ten of clubs instead of a heart and now, south cannot make the contract. He can win club Q, lead nine of spade to A in dummy for leading a heart, but east plays ten. South wins and can move a second spade but east wins , cashes A of club and A of heart and West waits patiently for his diamond trick. But had West led a heart, this beautiful illustrative column hand would not have been there. Bridge is full of paradoxes
Regards

Bobby WolffMarch 28th, 2020 at 6:36 pm

Hi AVRR,

Thanks for the detailed discussion and compliments of the column, but especially the notification, since I am out of them, I can now go to the nearest bridge and buy a pair of doxes.