The Aces on Bridge: Monday, March 7th, 2016
You know, sometimes, when they say you’re ahead of your time, it’s just a polite way of saying you have a real bad sense of timing.
George McGovern
| S | North |
|---|---|
| None | ♠ 10 9 2 ♥ K Q 7 ♦ J 6 3 ♣ A Q J 10 |
| West | East |
|---|---|
| ♠ 6 ♥ J 10 9 8 ♦ A 9 5 2 ♣ K 9 6 2 |
♠ J 7 4 3 ♥ A 6 3 ♦ Q 10 8 7 ♣ 7 4 |
| South |
|---|
| ♠ A K Q 8 5 ♥ 5 4 2 ♦ K 4 ♣ 8 5 3 |
| South | West | North | East |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ♠ | Pass | 2 ♣ | Pass |
| 2 ♠ | Pass | 4 ♠ | All pass |
♥J
North has enough to drive to game when South opens the bidding. He cannot afford to raise spades immediately, since that would not be forcing, so he bids his clubs first. When South rebids his spades, North can simply bid four spades, assuming that his decent trump intermediates will solidify the spade suit.
After West leads the heart jack to trick one, South covers, and wins the next heart in dummy. He should now see that he needs a successful club finesse to make his game. He must therefore plan on the assumption that the club finesse will work. If it loses, he may go down two tricks instead of only one, but the additional undertrick is a fine investment to improve his chances of making game.
If South draws trump, even assuming that they break, and takes a club finesse, he will then have to find a way of getting back to his hand for a second finesse. How can he get back? He cannot do so unless the diamond finesse succeeds; and why risk this unnecessarily?
The solution is to use the trump more efficiently as a means of communication. Declarer leads the trump 10 to the ace at trick three, then abandons trump in order to take a club finesse. He next leads the trump nine to the king and observes West’s discard. He takes a second club finesse, and only then can he draw the last trump by means of the finesse against the jack. This leaves him in position for the third and final club finesse.
Clearly the lead of a black suit looks unattractive. Given that partner has virtually no high cards, are we better off leading from length or from a sequence? It is a close call but I’m going to go with leading from ace-fourth. This seems to work better when partner has four small cards, or the suit breaks evenly round the table.
LEAD WITH THE ACES
| ♠ 7 5 ♥ A 9 6 3 ♦ Q J 2 ♣ A Q 3 2 |
| South | West | North | East |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ♣ | 1 ♠ | Pass | 2 NT |
| Pass | 3 NT | All pass |
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I loved the 4S hand, but I honestly question how many people would be so careful to arrive at ten tricks by timing the play perfectly by unblocking the S10 at trick three. Of course, after following Bobby's path to success when he wins the second heart in dummy, it looks soooo easy. But, in reality, how many of us would see it immediately????
I thought after all these years, the game would get easier .. but I am beginning to wonder.
Hi JKW,
As time goes by, our game gets neither easier nor more difficult. It becomes a question of priorities.
Today’s hand involves itself with technique or possibly what we might call housekeeping. Sometimes we forget to pick up the laundry at the cleaners or may run out of coffee. Such is the nature of today’s theme. When we fail to unblock the 10 of spades from dummy we are not doing our overall job of positioning ourselves, as best we can, to guard against a 4-1 spade break onside with, of course, the jack being with the 4. If the normal break appears — no harm, no foul. However, in order to move up to what an aspiring bridge player wants to achieve (and maintain) is a consistent approach to the inside structure of his or her overall game.
Starting the clubs early is a just as important feature. Sure if either the king of clubs is offside (50%) or singleton, doubleton or tripleton on side, more than even money (assuming that monarch is “finesseable”) the same innocuous result would occur, but when it is onside, as it is today, but with 3 little ones, the hand needs to be timed right.
No more — no less, but unless this hand is played correctly, whether necessary or not, it becomes imperative for a player with hopes to perform correctly. Again — more or less routine, but often the difference between being a winner or a loser.
You, my dear, are only a winner, so, no doubt you would have brought this baby home. And for that and other more personal reasons, I love you.
Never forget to seek answers. It may make your day.
Hi RSW:
I know you’ve heard the old cliche “Hitch your wagon to a star” — and I’ve come up with the perfect solution! Playing with you as my partner avoids hacked hands and allows me to enjoy a more relaxing session by assuming the leisurely role of dummy. As long as one of us is good at “housekeeping,” I appoint you designated declarer!!
Hi Judith,
Well, I declare!
Hi Robert,
What a play on words .. but I accept!!
On LWA: I lead a small C. This beats the contract if partner has one trick anywhere and no one else has 4 clubs, and this seems like my best chance.
Hi David,
Since IMO, there are almost infinite possibilities to the location of so many intermediate cards, but as to the location of the king of clubs, East is the clear favorite.
While 4-3-3-3 in clubs is possible I would, as a bookmaker give 10 to 1 against it, simply because I believe on this bidding that it is about 60+% that East has 4 or more. Having said that, while a low club should certainly be a consideration, I do think that either partner having 4 small hearts or it also being 4-3-3-3 around the table is, at least just as likely, and if so, let declarer spend his time and tempo establishing his nine tricks before we get our hoped for five.
However I would rather bet your farm, rather than mine, on it.