The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, January 28th, 2016
Every man should have aunts. They illustrate the triumph of guesswork over logic.
Agatha Christie
| S | North |
|---|---|
| None | ♠ K 7 3 ♥ 10 9 8 4 ♦ A 9 6 ♣ 7 6 4 |
| West | East |
|---|---|
| ♠ Q J 10 8 4 ♥ Q 6 5 ♦ 8 3 ♣ Q 10 2 |
♠ 9 6 ♥ 7 2 ♦ Q 7 5 4 2 ♣ K 8 5 3 |
| South |
|---|
| ♠ A 5 2 ♥ A K J 3 ♦ K J 10 ♣ A J 9 |
| South | West | North | East |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 NT | Pass | 3 NT | All pass |
♠Q
Declaring three no-trump on a top spade lead South can count only eight sure tricks in top cards: two spades, three hearts, two diamonds, and one club. South can make his game if the heart queen is well placed, or if he can locate the diamond queen. Not surprisingly, it is best to delay the decision before guessing in diamonds. South should commit himself only after considering all the evidence.
One way to play the cards out is to win tricks, but an equally good way is to surrender the tricks you can afford to lose. Both methods may generate additional evidence. After winning the spade lead in dummy and losing the heart finesse, South can afford to give up three spade tricks. He should therefore take the second spade, cash his top cards in hearts, then return a spade. While West takes his good spades, South pitches clubs, then reassesses the position.
Declarer knows that East has two cards in each major, so must have started with nine minorsuit cards. At the table East will begin by discarding two small diamonds on the hearts. Then he rates to discard three small clubs. West exits with a low club to the king and South’s ace.
Logic suggests that East has thrown as many diamonds as he could afford, and then decided to keep the rest. What can East be saving in diamonds that persuaded him to discard away from the club king? All the evidence points in the same direction: South should play East for the diamond queen.
It would be easy but over-hasty to jump to three notrump now. This is an auction where, having doubled initially, a call of one no-trump shows more than a strong no-trump. (Of course with less than a strong no-trump you would pass at your second turn to speak.) That being so, a jump to two no-trump now shows 21-22; perfect.
BID WITH THE ACES
| ♠ A 5 2 ♥ A K J 3 ♦ K J 10 ♣ A J 9 |
| South | West | North | East |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass | Pass | 1 ♣ | |
| Dbl. | Pass | 1 ♦ | Pass |
| ? |
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Bridge-related
Hi Bobby,
Although unrelated to today’s hand, can I nominate an opponent from my session tonight for a brilliant coup. I held SAQJ98x HKQxx Dxx Cx and heard 3 passes so opened 1S before subsiding in 3S, pard putting down S7x Hxx DAQ9x CKQ9xx. LHO led the D2, the finesse lost and a diamond came back won by the Ace. A heart to my K held, a club to the K lost to RHO’s ace and he played back another diamond.
I ruffed, ruffed a small heart with the 7 all following, cashed the CQ to dump the HQ and led a spade, small, ?? RHO has turned up with AAK so the spade K is with LHO and it is maybe singleton (unlikely). So I played SA then SQ only to see it run round to RHO’s Kx (he’s passed a 14 count having miscounted ) and a club through promoted his partner’s 10! Bang went 80% to be replaced by a big fat 0! I couldn’t help but laugh when he apologised.
regards,
Iain
Sorry, after taking CA he cashed HA, and then played another D….
Hi Iain,
Your tale is one of sad begotten woe.
The surgery by you was precise but the patient was ill formed.
Be happy that you knew enough not to take the 0% trump finesse which action turned viral.
However, for others sitting your way, my guess is that many, with your combined assets, would reach 4 spades, after 3rd seat had opened at the one level or possibly your pard may have opened one climond (take his choice). In any event game probably would be reached in spades and after all, your opponents also got off to their best lead.
So sometimes combining two strokes of atrocious luck on one matchpoint result does have a softer landing than spreading it out.
Better luck is sure to follow.
On the column hand, y’all know the QD would “migrate” to the short hand for me …
🙁
Hi Jim2,
Others have also had problems with her. They don’t call her a rich b—- for no reason.
Even Iain couldn’t score her up at trick one in his example hand.
Hi Jim2,
Does the trap I plunged into count as a special case of TOCM? West holds stiff K if you finesse, East holds Kx if you don’t?
Iain
Hardly a special case. Indeed, the drop versus finesse is standard TOCM ™ fare!