November 7th, 2019 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, October 24th, 2019
We’re all leading lives that are different and yet the same.
Anne Frank
N |
North |
E-W |
♠ K
♥ J 6 5 4 2
♦ 10 9 5 3
♣ A 9 2 |
West |
East |
♠ Q J 9 7
♥ K 3
♦ Q 8 6
♣ K 6 5 4 |
♠ 6 4 3
♥ 9 8
♦ A K J 4 2
♣ J 10 8 |
South |
♠ A 10 8 5 2
♥ A Q 10 7
♦ 7
♣ Q 7 3 |
South |
West |
North |
East |
|
|
Pass |
Pass |
1 ♠ |
Pass |
1 NT |
Pass |
2 ♥ |
Pass |
4 ♥ |
All pass |
|
|
|
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♦6
You had too little to bid two hearts on the previous round, and now with such a bad suit and little chance of a fit, you seem to have too much to pass but nowhere to go. Giving false preference to two spades on a singleton would be too rich for me, though admittedly it does give partner a chance to go on with the perfect hand. I’d pass two clubs and proffer my apologies along with the dummy.
BID WITH THE ACES
♠ K
♥ J 6 5 4 2
♦ 10 9 5 3
♣ A 9 2 |
South |
West |
North |
East |
|
|
1 ♠ |
Pass |
1 NT |
Pass |
2 ♣ |
Pass |
? |
|
|
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November 6th, 2019 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, October 23rd, 2019
Talent develops in quiet places, character in the full current of human life.
Johann von Goethe
E |
North |
N-S |
♠ A J 9 8
♥ Q 8 7 5
♦ J 9
♣ K 10 3 |
West |
East |
♠ 7 6 5 3
♥ 9 4
♦ 8 7 5 4 3
♣ 7 5 |
♠ 4
♥ A K J 10 3
♦ K Q 10 6
♣ Q J 8 |
South |
♠ K Q 10 2
♥ 6 2
♦ A 2
♣ A 9 6 4 2 |
South |
West |
North |
East |
|
|
|
1 ♥ |
Dbl. |
Pass |
2 ♥ |
Pass |
2 ♠ |
Pass |
3 ♠ |
Pass |
4 ♠ |
All pass |
|
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♥9
With marginal values, your singleton in partner’s suit should swing you away from inviting game at pairs. A two-no-trump advance would land you in the wrong spot too often. Playing teams, the lure of a vulnerable game might be too much to bear, though, in which case the two-no-trump call describes your general shape and values reasonably well.
BID WITH THE ACES
♠ 4
♥ A K J 10 3
♦ K Q 10 6
♣ Q J 8 |
South |
West |
North |
East |
1 ♥ |
Pass |
1 ♠ |
Pass |
2 ♦ |
Pass |
2 ♥ |
Pass |
? |
|
|
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November 5th, 2019 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ 7 Comments
The best liar is he who makes the smallest amount of lying go the longest way.
Samuel Butler
W |
North |
Both |
♠ A 7 6 5 4
♥ J 9 6 5
♦ 9
♣ 10 9 8 |
West |
East |
♠ Q 3
♥ 4 3 2
♦ 7 6 5
♣ K Q J 7 2 |
♠ 8
♥ A K Q 10 8 7
♦ A Q 8 4 2
♣ 4 |
South |
♠ K J 10 9 2
♥ —
♦ K J 10 3
♣ A 6 5 3 |
South |
West |
North |
East |
|
Pass |
Pass |
1 ♥ |
1 ♠ |
2 ♥ |
4 ♠ |
4 NT |
5 ♠ |
Dbl. |
All pass |
|
♣K
Your hand has improved considerably now that you know of a heart fit. Your singleton diamond will prove useful opposite partner’s likely 1=4=3=5 shape, as will the spade ace and the club intermediates. (Picture partner with king-jack-fifth, for example.) What is more, partner has shown extras with his reverse, so jump to four hearts to suggest no slam interest.
BID WITH THE ACES
♠ A 7 6 5 4
♥ J 9 6 5
♦ 9
♣ 10 9 8 |
South |
West |
North |
East |
|
|
1 ♣ |
Pass |
1 ♠ |
Pass |
2 ♥ |
Pass |
? |
|
|
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November 4th, 2019 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ 6 Comments
There is always a well-known solution to every human problem — neat, plausible, and wrong.
H.L. Mencken
S |
North |
Both |
♠ J 10 4
♥ K 7 5 3
♦ K 10 2
♣ A 10 4 |
West |
East |
♠ 9 6
♥ Q 9 4 2
♦ J 9 5 4 3
♣ 8 6 |
♠ K Q 5 3 2
♥ A J 10
♦ A Q 6
♣ J 7 |
South |
♠ A 8 7
♥ 8 6
♦ 8 7
♣ K Q 9 5 3 2 |
South |
West |
North |
East |
Pass |
Pass |
1 ♣ |
Dbl. |
3 NT |
All pass |
|
|
♦4
It is rarely right to lead from ace-fourth against no-trump, since it often costs a trick and you will frequently have time to switch to that suit if you need to. Because a club lead from our doubleton would be against the odds, we must choose between the red suits. There is an argument for leading a major suit, as West did not use Stayman, but whether you lead a small heart or the diamond five is up to you.
LEAD WITH THE ACES
♠ A 6 4 3
♥ J 8 2
♦ 7 5 4 3
♣ 9 2 |
South |
West |
North |
East |
|
|
|
1 NT |
Pass |
3 NT |
All pass |
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November 3rd, 2019 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ 7 Comments
What is the right way to signal from length when your partner leads a king (presumably from ace-king) and dummy has the guarded queen in that suit?
Rawhide Rick, Salina, Kan.
In a suit contract, if you might hold a doubleton, you echo with two; that way you never lose your ruff. I suggest play lowest from three, and second-lowest from four. This minimizes ambiguity, though nothing will cover every base. If you cannot have as few as two cards, give count, with a high card suggesting an even number, a low card suggesting an odd number. In no-trump, simply give count — your attitude is implicitly defined by the sight of dummy.
What would you do with ♠ K-10-5-2, ♥ A-Q-8-6-2, ♦ 10-4, ♣ Q-9 when your partner opens one club and rebids one no-trump over your one-heart response? Would you drive to game, settle for part-score or issue an invitation?
Straitjacket, Vancouver, British Columbia
Your hand does not look strong enough to drive to game, when you have at best an eight-card fit in either major and no more than 24 high-card points between you. I’d start with two diamonds, the new minor, looking for a heart fit, and be prepared to give up if I do not find one. If partner bids two spades, showing 4=3=3=3 precisely, I’ll raise to three.
Can you comment on the meaning of jump rebids by opener after a suit opening, when his partner makes a negative double of an overcall by the left-hand opponent? Are jumps forcing in the original suit or in a new suit — and if not, what about a double jump?
Head for Heights, Grenada, Miss.
Let’s consider a onespade overcall of a minor-suit opening, and a negative double from your partner. Now your two-heart call suggests four and a minimum balanced or semibalanced hand. A jump to three hearts suggests four trumps and 14-15 points, potentially unbalanced. A jump in any other new suit or your first-bid suit shows extras but is not forcing. Use the cue-bid to set up a game force.
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In fourth seat, how should I have developed the following hand: ♠ A-Q-3, ♥ Q-7-6-4, ♦ K-9, ♣ K-9-4-2, when my left-hand opponent opened two spades and my partner doubled? This was a pairs event with both sides vulnerable.
Nosy Rosie, Orlando, Fla.
The choice is between bidding game in hearts or three no-trump, and passing for penalties. You rate to set two spades 500 or more — but declarer can surely take four spade tricks and may scramble a couple more out of dummy’s collection. With these spade honors taking tricks on offense, I would try three no-trump. Four hearts could easily run into ruffs or trump troubles.
Is there any real advantage to playing the version of Key-card Blackwood currently recommended by Eddie Kantar, where a five club response shows one or four key-cards (counting the trump king as a key-card) and five diamonds shows none or three? What do you usually play?
20th Century Blues, Selma, Ala.
Any system accident more than outweighs the benefits of playing the best possible methods. “The perfect is the enemy of the good,” they say. If I use Roman Key-card Blackwood, I play 30/41 responses, though I do see a shift toward the methods you outline. When in Rome …
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November 2nd, 2019 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ 9 Comments
Man in portions can foresee His own funeral destiny.
Lord Byron
N |
North |
Both |
♠ K J 9 2
♥ K 8 5 4
♦ A
♣ K 9 8 6 |
West |
East |
♠ 10 8 6 4
♥ Q 3
♦ K 9 7 6 5 3
♣ 2 |
♠ 7
♥ J 10 7 6 2
♦ Q J 10 8
♣ Q J 10 |
South |
♠ A Q 5 3
♥ A 9
♦ 4 2
♣ A 7 5 4 3 |
South |
West |
North |
East |
|
|
1 ♣ |
Pass |
1 ♠ |
Pass |
3 ♠ |
Pass |
4 ♣ |
Pass |
4 ♦ |
Pass |
4 NT |
Pass |
5 ♥ |
Pass |
5 NT |
Pass |
6 ♣ |
Pass |
6 ♠ |
All pass |
|
|
♣2
This is a common problem. If we respond in our weak spade suit and partner rebids two clubs, we will not be able to get our diamonds into the game. (Two diamonds would then be fourth suit forcing.) Best is to lie with one no-trump, enabling us to bid a natural and non-forcing two diamonds if partner finds the likely rebid of two clubs.
BID WITH THE ACES
♠ 10 8 6 4
♥ Q 3
♦ K 9 7 6 5 3
♣ 2 |
South |
West |
North |
East |
|
|
1 ♥ |
Pass |
? |
|
|
|
November 1st, 2019 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ 4 Comments
The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.
William James
S |
North |
None |
♠ J 10 9 6
♥ 10 8 2
♦ Q 9 8
♣ 10 9 6 |
West |
East |
♠ 8 7
♥ 7 5 4
♦ J 10 5 2
♣ Q J 8 7 |
♠ A K Q 5 4 2
♥ 3
♦ 6 4 3
♣ 5 4 3 |
South |
♠ 3
♥ A K Q J 9 6
♦ A K 7
♣ A K 2 |
South |
West |
North |
East |
2 ♣ |
Pass |
2 ♦ |
2 ♠ |
3 ♥ |
Pass |
4 ♥ |
Pass |
6 ♥ |
All pass |
|
|
♠8
We are forced to bid and could either settle for two spades or attempt to find a minor suit fit via a scrambling two no-trump. Given that East has not raised hearts, partner is likely to have a doubleton heart and could easily be 5=2=3=3. In that case, we would prefer to play in spades at a cheaper level. So try two spades.
BID WITH THE ACES
♠ 8 6
♥ 7 5 4
♦ J 10 5 2
♣ Q J 7 6 |
South |
West |
North |
East |
|
|
1 ♠ |
Pass |
Pass |
2 ♥ |
Dbl. |
Pass |
? |
|
|
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October 31st, 2019 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ 4 Comments
What makes a problem a problem is not that a large amount of search is required for its solution, but that a large amount would be required if a requisite level of intelligence were not applied.— Allen Newell and Herbert
W |
North |
Both |
♠ K Q J 5
♥ Q 9 8 6 5
♦ 9 6
♣ 10 4 |
West |
East |
♠ 10 9 7 3
♥ 4 3 2
♦ 10
♣ Q 9 8 7 5 |
♠ A 4 2
♥ A J 10
♦ J 8 7 4 2
♣ 3 2 |
South |
♠ 8 6
♥ K 7
♦ A K Q 5 3
♣ A K J 6 |
South |
West |
North |
East |
|
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
2 NT |
Pass |
3 ♣ |
Pass |
3 ♦ |
Pass |
3 ♠ * |
Pass |
3 NT |
All pass |
|
|
*Four spades and longer hearts
♣7
If you play forcing no-trump and constructive raises, you are allowed to make a simple raise to two hearts with a 10-count. But this hand feels too strong for that. It isn’t just the good trump and aces, it is also the side five-card suit and useful small doubleton. So treat this as a limit raise; bid a forcing no-trump, then jump to three hearts. If you don’t play forcing no-trump, maybe make a limit raise to three hearts.
BID WITH THE ACES
♠ A 4 2
♥ A J 10
♦ J 8 7 4 2
♣ 3 2 |
South |
West |
North |
East |
|
|
1 ♥ |
Pass |
? |
|
|
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October 30th, 2019 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ 6 Comments
Politics is the only profession for which no preparation is thought necessary.
Robert Louis Stevenson
E |
North |
E-W |
♠ A K 7 4 2
♥ 2
♦ A 10 8
♣ Q 10 9 7 |
West |
East |
♠ J 10 8 5
♥ 8 5
♦ J 7 2
♣ K 8 5 4 |
♠ Q
♥ 9 7 6 4
♦ K 9 6 5 4
♣ J 6 3 |
South |
♠ 9 6 3
♥ A K Q J 10 3
♦ Q 3
♣ A 2 |
South |
West |
North |
East |
|
|
|
Pass |
1 ♥ |
Pass |
1 ♠ |
Pass |
3 NT |
Pass |
4 ♦ |
Dbl. |
4 ♥ |
Pass |
4 ♠ |
Pass |
5 ♣ |
Pass |
5 NT |
Pass |
6 ♥ |
All pass |
|
|
♦2
With a four-card major and longer diamonds in response to a club opening, the normal procedure is to bypass the diamonds with a weak hand, preferring to get the major in at a low level. However, your hearts are so poor that you can afford to ignore them for now and respond in your fair five-card diamond suit, maximizing your chances of finding a fit.
BID WITH THE ACES
♠ Q
♥ 9 7 6 4
♦ K 9 6 5 4
♣ J 6 3 |
South |
West |
North |
East |
|
|
1 ♣ |
Pass |
? |
|
|
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October 29th, 2019 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, October 15th, 2019
Mathematics is the science which draws necessary conclusions.
Benjamin Peirce
E |
North |
E-W |
♠ A Q 6 3
♥ —
♦ K 10 7 5 4 2
♣ 10 7 5 |
West |
East |
♠ 10 8 7 2
♥ 8 7 6 5 3 2
♦ 8
♣ A 4 |
♠ K 9 5
♥ A K J 10 9
♦ 3
♣ J 9 8 6 |
South |
♠ J 4
♥ Q 4
♦ A Q J 9 6
♣ K Q 3 2 |
South |
West |
North |
East |
|
|
|
1 ♥ |
2 ♦ |
4 ♥ |
5 ♦ |
All pass |
|
|
|
|
♥8
The textbooks would recommend opening one diamond and rebidding two clubs. Modernists would open one no-trump as often as possible. Here, with honors in your short suits, one no-trump is your best tactical option, serving to rightside most contracts facing a balanced hand. It also pre-empts the opponents while getting your strength across to partner. Do I recommend it? Maybe.
BID WITH THE ACES
♠ J 4
♥ Q 4
♦ A Q J 9 6
♣ K Q 3 2 |
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On today’s deal from the 2014 European Team Championships in Croatia, the final contract was the same in each room, but the outcomes were very different.
Both Norths drove their partners to game in hearts, and each West led a low diamond. Easts Gabor Winkler for Hungary and Vladimir Mihov for Bulgaria both won with the king and switched to a club honor.
Mihov led the club 10 to the queen, king and ace. Declarer cashed the spade king, ruffed a diamond and threw a club loser on the spade ace. Next, he ruffed a spade, before conceding a club to Mihov’s jack. South ruffed the diamond return, ruffed a club and led a heart to the queen. When Julian Stefanov (West) won with the king and returned a heart to the ace, declarer was left with a diamond loser and was one down for minus 50.
In the other room, Winkler switched to the club jack, and declarer Georgi Mihailov withheld his queen. He won with the ace, cashed the spade king, ruffed a diamond, and cashed the spade ace, pitching a club from dummy. Next came a spade ruff, a diamond ruff, and another spade. When West produced the 13th spade, Mihailov discarded dummy’s last club rather than risking an over-ruff.
East also threw a club, and West led the club king, which declarer ruffed. When Mihailov took the losing heart finesse, he could ruff the club return with the jack and cross to the heart ace. The 2-2 trump split meant that he could cash the spade 10 for his game-going trick, and a big swing to Bulgaria.