The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, June 29th, 2017
by Bobby Wolff on
July 13th, 2017
Do as you would be done by, is the surest method that I know of pleasing.
Earl of Chesterfield
| S | North |
|---|---|
| Both | ♠ K Q 4 3 ♥ 7 6 ♦ 9 8 2 ♣ Q 10 9 7 |
| West | East |
|---|---|
| ♠ J 8 ♥ 10 9 8 5 3 ♦ K 7 4 ♣ A 5 3 |
♠ 10 9 6 5 2 ♥ A Q ♦ A 6 5 ♣ K 8 4 |
| South |
|---|
| ♠ A 7 ♥ K J 4 2 ♦ Q J 10 3 ♣ J 6 2 |
| South | West | North | East |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ♦ | 1 ♥ | Dbl. | Pass |
| 1 NT | All pass |
♥10
This is a hand where your values, such as they are, appear to be working overtime. You don’t have a lot, but I think you have just enough to bid three spades. It may be a slight stretch, I admit, but it feels right to get in to the auction while you have the chance.
BID WITH THE ACES
| ♠ K Q 4 3 ♥ 7 6 ♦ 9 8 2 ♣ Q 10 9 7 |
| South | West | North | East |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ♦ | |||
| Pass | 2 ♦ | Dbl. | 3 ♦ |
| ? |
Subscribe to our feed
Bridge-related
This month I have been running deals from Larry Cohen’s recent book: “Larry Cohen Teaches Declarer Play at Notrump”. So let me run a deal which shows him as the hero, in a no-trump contract.
In the 2000 world championships, Larry as South played one no-trump on the lead of the heart 10 to East’s ace. At trick two, the heart queen was returned. How should South play?
Larry counted five sure tricks, and could develop two more from either minor. However, whichever suit he worked on, declarer would have to knock out both the ace and king. So what is the potential problem?
Every suit is at least double-stopped, but the defense is threatening to take seven tricks (the minor suit ace-kings and three heart tricks) before declarer can come to his seven. Look what would happen if South won the heart king at trick two and went to work on one of the minors. Whichever minor he tackled, West could win and play a third round of hearts, establishing his suit. He would still have an entry, and declarer would lose the race.
Once you identify the problem, the solution is not hard. You must allow East to win his heart queen at trick two. In the unlikely event that he produces a third heart, the suit will be four-three and there is nothing to worry about.
Equally, even if East shifts to spades, declarer has plenty of time to set up his seven tricks by playing on one minor or the other.