Aces on Bridge — Daily Columns

The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, 5 November, 2024


8 Comments

jim2November 5th, 2024 at 2:39 am

Declarer could also play on hearts.

Iain ClimieNovember 5th, 2024 at 8:45 am

HI Bobby,

Once again upside down signals (this time for length not attitude) work well here. Have I been getting this wrong for my entire playing life (I started playing duplicate when I was 17, almost 50 years ago).

Regards,

Iain

Iain ClimieNovember 5th, 2024 at 10:44 am

HI Jim2,

Will that work if West jumps on the first heart and plays another spade?

Regards,

Iain

jim2November 5th, 2024 at 12:02 pm

Iain –

Of course. it will not, but neither will playing on Ds w/o a defensive error. Still, would it not be cool to win the first spade, advance a H to the Q, and wrap up 9 tricks?

After all, if West does jump up and play a S, Declarer can still revert to Ds …

Iain ClimieNovember 5th, 2024 at 12:25 pm

HI Jim2,

True enough and possibly worth a shot. Just out of interest do you use standard or reverse signals for attitude and count?

regards,

Iain

jim2November 5th, 2024 at 12:55 pm

I approach the game these days with the attitude that there is a finite amount of “stuff” that departs from “standard” that I can have confidence to remember at the table.

So, I ask my partner of the moment to pick a few such that are regarded by her/him as the most important. Once my “limit” is reached, I say “no more.” Rarely has signaling been one of those.

Iain ClimieNovember 5th, 2024 at 1:22 pm

Hi Jim2,

Sounds like a sane approach. I used to play “Byzantine Blackwood” in the late 70s which was very good but incredibly complex. Splinters, cue-bids and RKC BW cover most of the cases, although it still would have worked well in those cases and some other.

Regards,

Iain

bobbywolffNovember 5th, 2024 at 2:41 pm

Hi Jim2 & Iain,

We all knew if we either pestered Jim2 long enough, or perhaps often enough, he would and could educate his entire audience, using his immense bridge smarts to wise us up in many
discussed bridge subjects, perhaps unlimited, to which, by nature, we have learned to mightily suspect.

Finally, the conversation has captured that moment, something that to some of us is as important as today’s choice, of who is to win the USA Presidency. Yes, I do believe that
the cherished moment has arrived when Jim2 has actually advised us concerning his bridge
preferences to which we should always take great note.

We all knew that it might happen sooner or later, but perhaps after multiple years of waiting, we might just have to wait until the next life, for it to occur..

And sorry Jim (note, I didn’t include your last name “2”), but celebrations now should occur,
which may indeed rival, in intensity, the same ones offered wherever the winning Presidential
candidate is likely hiding.

We all knew it would eventually occur, but could not be sure in which century.

Much thanks for that enormous thrill! To heck with the bridge discussion!