Aces on Bridge — Daily Columns

The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, January 5th, 2022


8 Comments

Iain ClimiieJanuary 19th, 2022 at 11:03 am

Hi Bobby,

East, before playing the 13th spade might stop for a quick think as South might have J9x AQ10xxx Kx Qx or similar (a heart les, a diamond more) when the spade lead is disastrous. The point of course is that West would (well should) have cashed the DA when in with the SK as it clearly can run away.

Regards,

Iain

Iain ClimieJanuary 19th, 2022 at 11:07 am

HI Bobby,

East might be worried when playing the 13th spade as South might have (say) J9x AQ10xx KJx Qx when the defence is disastrous. Not a problem as long as West is awake enough to cash the DA when in with the SK. He (or she) clearly should do but we all have the odd lapse.

Regards,

Iain

A V Ramana RaoJanuary 19th, 2022 at 1:36 pm

Hi lain
Hope our host approves: Excellent point but perhaps east could have played spade Q at T1 and if it holds and when east continues spades, west wins and just in case he has diamond A, he would certainly cash it before leading another spade as there would be no ambiguity and from East’s point of view, if declarer has spade K, the contract cannot be defeated. But as played, it would suffice if west has ten of hearts and declarer is put to guess in trumps. However, it would be bad if declarer has that card and not A of diamonds
Regards

bobbywolffJanuary 19th, 2022 at 1:51 pm

Hi Iain,

Yes, of course West should cash the diamond ace, if he in fact, possessed it, since if not, no jury would convict East of Justifiable Homicide, besides intentionally beforehand renaming him Rip Van Winkle for the head start to his infinite 20 year sleep.

However, if you could even think of forgiving him for that, all your many friends would immediately change your first name to “Mother” a name a former friend called me once, but then followed by another word, but certainly not to be printed here or any even halfway polite circles. Hint: it rhymes with ducker.

Iain ClimieJanuary 19th, 2022 at 2:10 pm

Hi Bobby,

WE all have former friends like that but, if he (I assume not she) was a bridge partner did you carry on playing with him? I recall Alan Sontag’s description of Ira Rubin’s treatment of errant partners in The Bridge Bum; I really don’t know that it helps that much. One old partner of mine had a far better solution if I demonstrably messed up – his beer glass would be emptied and presented to me.

Regards,

Iain

bobbywolffJanuary 19th, 2022 at 2:57 pm

Hi AVRR & Iain,

Anyone who would, could, forgive West for not cashing the ace of diamonds (even if he didn’t have it, since the ace of hearts would do!) belongs in a convent (but, and of course, would not play bridge, since even human kindness has not anywhere, projected that far!).

And to Iain, no doubt his beer glass would be emptied but instead of his drinking it, would be soaking me.

Strong letter to follow!

Iain ClimieJanuary 19th, 2022 at 3:29 pm

Sorry Bobby,

No partner has ever annoyed me to the extent that I would waste beer by pouring it over them or throwing it. Some things are just too far beyond acceptable. Strangely enough, I used to be generally tolerant of partner’s mistakes (even in my younger grumpy days) provided I was playing well. If I started messing up too, then the fur flew. It is maybe as well that somewhere as crowded as the UK (and especially England) isn’t keen on guns.

Regards,

Iain

bobbywolffJanuary 19th, 2022 at 4:22 pm

Hi Iain,

If the pandemic keeps reforming much longer, the fallout from it may, like you just suggested, cause many others to go really rogue, and totally lose it, by going genuinely batty!

Just so much horror can many of us absorb, and although other worldwide pandemics, through the many years, have likely taken a greater percentage of lives, the enormous
sorrow this one has caused, both in sickness, death, and many other telltale areas, might soon develop into the worst event ever known, at least in the last many centuries before.

Here is hoping all the above is a great exaggeration and the world gets back to its normal pace of only sharing both hate and love,
a condition which can be, at the very least, managed.