The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, October 4th, 2011

October 18th, 2011  ~  admin  ~  6 Comments 

Dealer: West Vul: Both	North ♠ 8 2 ♥ Q J 8 5 3 2 ♦ 5 3 ♣ J 10 9
West ♠ 10 3 ♥ A K 9 ♦ A K J 10 4 ♣ K 6 2		East ♠ 6 5 ♥ 7 6 4 ♦ 9 7 6 ♣ 8 7 5 4 3
	South ♠ A K Q J 9 7 4 ♥ 10 ♦ Q 8 2 ♣ A Q

 

South	West	North	East
	1 ♦	Pass	Pass
Dbl.	Pass	1 ♥	Pass
3 NT	All Pass

Opening Lead: Diamond King

“They studied at the self-same schools,

— Thomas Hardy

Working out declarer’s likely holding was the key to Kyle Larsen’s brilliant defense on this hand, originally reported by Alan Truscott. His victim was Jill Meyers, whose team nevertheless went on to win the match. The deal was short-listed for defense of the year about a decade ago. The deal is particularly satisfying because it goes against all the rules of defense by setting up tricks for declarer, not your own side.

Against three no-trump Larsen led a top diamond, and when dummy appeared, he paused to take stock. Declarer’s double, followed by her jump to game, showed a very strong hand, one likely to have a long running suit, which, judging from West’s hand, could only be spades.

South was marked with queen-third of diamonds for her final bid, and if she held seven spades, that left only three cards in the rounded suits.

So Larsen cashed his heart ace and king, and South was squeezed. Had she discarded a minor-suit card, West would have continued with that suit.

In fact, South chose to discard a spade. As a spade switch would have been fatal, giving declarer access to dummy’s now established hearts, Larsen cashed the diamond king and continued with the jack. This gave declarer her eighth trick, but she was unable to engineer the ninth.

Even if declarer had started with just six spades, West would still have needed to cash the top hearts now to prevent being thrown in with them later.

For details of Bobby Wolff’s autobiography, The Lone Wolff, contact [email protected]. If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, please leave a comment at this blog. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2011. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].

The Aces on Bridge: Monday, October 3rd, 2011

October 17th, 2011  ~  admin  ~  Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Monday, October 3rd, 2011 

Dealer: South Vul: East-West	North ♠ 10 9 5 ♥ Q 6 2 ♦ K Q 8 6 ♣ K 4 3
West ♠ J 7 6 2 ♥ J 4 ♦ J 10 4 2 ♣ A 6 2		East ♠ K 8 4 3 ♥ A 10 8 7 ♦ — ♣ J 10 9 8 5
	South ♠ A Q ♥ K 9 5 3 ♦ A 9 7 5 3 ♣ Q 7

 

South	West	North	East
1 NT	Pass	3 NT	All Pass

Opening Lead: Spade Two

“Hateful to me as the gates of Hades is that man who hides one thing in his heart and speaks another.”

— Homer

My friend Billy Clegg, a multiple winner of the Ace of Clubs award, was the CEO of an elite office supply house in San Antonio, The Clegg Company, and he and his wife, Terri, were among the best players in town.

Clegg believed strongly in opening one no-trump when at all possible to conceal suits and have the opening lead come up to the strong hand. Sixty years ago it was frowned upon to take liberties with one-no-trump openings — there were those who believed it was verboten with 5-4-2-2 shape or with a suit completely unstopped.

Years later, the expert community is now echoing the advantages of opening one no-trump whenever possible, but Billy was there before them.

In this deal from a team game, Clegg reached no-trump from the South seat, whereas in the other room that South opened his hand one diamond. Three no-trump was played by North, down immediately on a club lead.

On a spade lead Clegg won in hand and carefully played diamonds in the recommended way by cashing the diamond ace first, since he knew he could not guard against 4-0 diamonds with East having the length. After finessing the diamond eight, he saw East pitch a spade and a heart, so he led a heart to his hand, setting up the hearts before the clubs.

He won the spade return, repeated the diamond finesse, and led a club toward his queen. The defenders had two spades and two aces, but that was all.

For details of Bobby Wolff’s autobiography, The Lone Wolff, contact [email protected]. If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, please leave a comment at this blog. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2011. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].

The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, October 2nd, 2011

October 16th, 2011  ~  admin  ~  Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, October 2nd, 2011 

If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, e-mail him at [email protected]. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2011.

The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, October 1st, 2011

October 15th, 2011  ~  admin  ~  2 Comments 

Dealer: South Vul: East-West	North ♠ A K J 3 ♥ K Q ♦ 5 3 ♣ 9 7 5 3 2
West ♠ 9 8 5 4 2 ♥ 3 ♦ Q J 10 4 2 ♣ J 6		East ♠ Q 10 7 6 ♥ 8 7 5 4 2 ♦ A 8 ♣ K 4
	South ♠ — ♥ A J 10 9 6 ♦ K 9 7 6 ♣ A Q 10 8

 

South	West	North	East
1 ♥	Pass	1 ♠	Pass
2 ♣	Pass	2 ♦	Pass
3 ♦	Pass	4 ♣	Pass
4 ♥	Pass	4 ♠	Pass
6 ♣	All Pass

Opening Lead: Diamond Queen

“You, for example, clever to a fault.”

— Robert Browning

We all have the chance to be brilliant when we have plenty of time at our disposal. However, the problem in real life is not only to find the deception, but also to produce the play in perfect tempo. If we find the right false-card, but break tempo to produce it, declarer can normally see through our little game. With that advance warning, can you see how it might have been possible to deflect declarer from the winning path in today’s deal?

North’s decision to cue-bid facing short spades might have been ill-advised and encouraged his partner to look for the club slam. As it was, when West led the predictable diamond queen, declarer found himself in a horrid spot. He won the diamond king at trick two, crossed to the heart king, played a club to the queen, then crossed his fingers and laid down the club ace. When the king and jack appeared, he had his slam in the bag.

So who could have done better? West had a shot to deflect declarer from the winning line, if he had dropped the club jack under the queen. Declarer would surely have played West for a singleton club now. He would try to cross to dummy in hearts to repeat the trump finesse — disaster! West would ruff in and lead a third diamond, promoting the club king in East’s hand for down two. So much for a friendly trump break!

For details of Bobby Wolff’s autobiography, The Lone Wolff, contact [email protected]. If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, please leave a comment at this blog. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2011. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].

The Aces on Bridge: Friday, September 30th, 2011

October 14th, 2011  ~  admin  ~  Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Friday, September 30th, 2011 

Dealer: South Vul: East-West	North ♠ 10 7 3 ♥ 7 4 ♦ J 8 7 5 3 ♣ 8 7 5
West ♠ 5 ♥ J 10 9 3 2 ♦ 6 4 2 ♣ K 10 4 2		East ♠ J 6 2 ♥ K Q 8 6 5 ♦ 10 9 ♣ J 9 6
	South ♠ A K Q 9 8 4 ♥ A ♦ A K Q ♣ A Q 3

 

South	West	North	East
2 ♣	Pass	2 ♦	Pass
2 ♠	Pass	3 ♣*	Pass
3 NT	Pass	4 ♠	Pass
6 ♠	All Pass

*Artificial, second negative

Opening Lead: Heart Jack

“Although I enter not,

— William Makepeace Thackeray

In six spades you appear to need a 2-2 trump break or the bare spade jack, in which case 13 tricks rate to be available. If they do not break, you might think you need a miracle in clubs, or a defensive error. In fact, though, once trumps break 3-1, the contract is safe against any lie of the cards.

On the lead of the heart jack to the ace, declarer cashes the spade ace as both defenders follow. It would be easy (but very foolish) to play a second top trump and cross your fingers. Essentially you would be playing for an overtrick and risking the contract in the process. The key point of the deal lies in the quality of dummy’s spade intermediates.

Instead of taking a second top spade, cash the diamond ace, king and queen. As soon as either defender ruffs in, declarer can regain the lead, draw the last trump, then cross to the spade 10 to pitch the two club losers on the remaining diamond winners.

Suppose instead that East discards on the third top diamond. Then declarer leads the spade nine to dummy’s 10. The best East can do is to take the trick and play back a club, but declarer wins the ace, goes to dummy with the trump seven, and takes his discards on the diamonds again.

The play works in exactly the same way if it is West who has the spade length.

For details of Bobby Wolff’s autobiography, The Lone Wolff, contact [email protected]. If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, please leave a comment at this blog. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2011. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].

The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, September 29th, 2011

October 13th, 2011  ~  admin  ~  Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, September 29th, 2011 

Dealer: South Vul: East-West	North ♠ K 5 4 ♥ A 6 4 ♦ Q 5 2 ♣ 10 9 6 2
West ♠ 9 8 3 ♥ K Q J 9 ♦ K 9 8 7 6 ♣ 7		East ♠ 7 2 ♥ 10 5 2 ♦ A J 10 3 ♣ K 8 5 4
	South ♠ A Q J 10 6 ♥ 8 7 3 ♦ 4 ♣ A Q J 3

 

South	West	North	East
1 ♠	Pass	2 ♠	Pass
3 ♣	Pass	4 ♠	All Pass

Opening Lead: Heart King

“Human life is everywhere a state in which much is to be endured, and little to be enjoyed.”

— Samuel Johnson

At the Dyspeptics Club there are many players who would buy into Gore Vidal’s comment that it was not enough that they should succeed. Additionally, others must fail. Of course, it is almost impossible for both sides to be happy at the end of any deal, but today East and West’s pleasure was certainly increased by North’s visible discomfort when play was over.

The action in four spades proceeded speedily. The heart king was led to dummy’s ace, and declarer drew trumps ending in dummy. Then he passed the club 10, and when it held the trick, he irritated his partner even further by a premature comment that finally a finesse had worked for him. South repeated the club finesse, leading to his jack, but the 4-1 club break meant he still had a club loser since he could no longer reach dummy to repeat the finesse. There were three inevitable red-suit losers, so the game had to go down.

South airily remarked that there was nothing he could do; North riposted that indeed there was nothing South could have done — but a bridge player might have stood a better chance of making the game. Do you see what he meant?

Best play after winning the heart ace at trick one is to lead the club two to the queen. Then comes the spade ace, spade queen, and a spade to dummy’s king. After all the trumps are drawn, then running the club 10 produces a painless 10 tricks.

For details of Bobby Wolff’s autobiography, The Lone Wolff, contact [email protected]. If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, please leave a comment at this blog. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2011. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].

The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

October 12th, 2011  ~  admin  ~  3 Comments 

Dealer: South Vul: East-West	North ♠ A 8 4 ♥ K 7 5 ♦ A 7 4 2 ♣ K 9 2
West ♠ K Q J 6 3 ♥ A ♦ Q 9 8 6 5 ♣ Q 6		East ♠ 10 7 5 ♥ J 10 6 3 ♦ 10 3 ♣ 8 7 4 3
	South ♠ 9 2 ♥ Q 9 8 4 2 ♦ K J ♣ A J 10 5

 

South	West	North	East
1 ♥	2 ♥*	4 ♥	All Pass

*Spades and a minor, 5-5 pattern

Opening Lead: Spade King

“To fall into a habit is to begin to cease to be.”

— Miguel de Unamuno

Today’s deal, reported by Tim Bourke of Australia, features Bill Jacobs, declarer in four hearts. If you were South, knowing that West held at least 10 cards in spades and diamonds, wouldn’t you be inclined to play East for the club queen? So would I, but at the table Jacobs found a better approach.

Against four hearts West led the spade king, which Jacobs ducked. He won the spade continuation and ruffed dummy’s last spade to hand, eliminating the suit. Now he led a heart toward the king, won by the ace.

West was endplayed (since a spade would let declarer pitch a club from dummy and ruff clubs in the North hand). West elected to get off play with a diamond. South won his jack, cashed the diamond king, then played three rounds of hearts to East.

At this point, declarer was able to claim the rest. Since West had shown five spades and five diamonds, it was a sure thing that East had nothing left but clubs in the three-card ending and was thus endplayed, forced to open up the clubs for declarer.

It is always entertaining to endplay both of your opponents, even though superior guesswork would also have sufficed. More to the point, it should also aggravate them both — no bad thing to accomplish on a single deal!

For details of Bobby Wolff’s autobiography, The Lone Wolff, contact [email protected]. If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, please leave a comment at this blog. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2011. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].

The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, September 27th, 2011

October 11th, 2011  ~  admin  ~  Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, September 27th, 2011 

Dealer: East Vul: Both	North ♠ 10 5 4 2 ♥ A J 8 4 ♦ 2 ♣ J 7 6 4
West ♠ A K Q 8 3 ♥ Q 3 ♦ J 8 5 ♣ Q 10 8		East ♠ J 9 6 ♥ 9 ♦ A 10 9 7 4 3 ♣ K 5 3
	South ♠ 7 ♥ K 10 7 6 5 2 ♦ K Q 6 ♣ A 9 2

 

South	West	North	East
			Pass
1 ♥	1 ♠	3 ♥	3 ♠
4 ♥	All Pass

Opening Lead: Spade King

“Immortal patriots! Rise once more:

— Joseph Hopkinson

In today’s deal you had to decide whether to take the push to four spades or sit back and try to beat your opponents’ game. With no extra spade length, the key may be whether partner has short hearts (and the opponents are bidding on shape) or whether he has two or three hearts, when you may be able to set their game and the sacrifice would prove expensive. On balance it seems right to pass.

Against South’s four hearts you lead the spade king, partner plays the six (suggesting an odd number) and declarer the seven. How do you hope to take four defensive tricks?

You need to place partner with the diamond ace and a top club, or both top clubs. Accordingly, it looks important to switch to a club now.

If partner has both minor-suit aces, or both top clubs, any small club will probably suffice. However, if partner has the club king without any intermediates and declarer has the club A-9, a switch to the club eight will not be good enough. Declarer will play low from dummy and hold his club losers to one.

To cover every possible situation, you must switch to the club 10. If declarer plays low from dummy, so will your partner, and your 10 will force declarer’s ace. However, if he covers your 10 with the jack, your Q-8 will be poised over his 9-2 when partner gets in with the diamond ace and leads clubs again.

For details of Bobby Wolff’s autobiography, The Lone Wolff, contact [email protected]. If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, please leave a comment at this blog. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2011. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].

The Aces on Bridge: Monday, September 26th, 2011

October 10th, 2011  ~  admin  ~  2 Comments 

Dealer: South Vul: North-South	North ♠ 9 7 5 3 ♥ 8 5 ♦ 8 6 4 2 ♣ K 9 6
West ♠ A K Q J 4 ♥ 10 7 4 2 ♦ J ♣ 8 7 3		East ♠ 8 6 ♥ Q J 9 6 3 ♦ 10 9 7 3 ♣ 5 2
	South ♠ 10 2 ♥ A K ♦ A K Q 5 ♣ A Q J 10 4

 

South	West	North	East
2 ♣	2 ♠	Pass	Pass
3 ♣	Pass	4 ♣	Pass
5 ♣	All Pass

Opening Lead: Spade King

“That life is worth living is the most necessary of assumptions, and were it not assumed, the most impossible of conclusions.”

— George Santayana

Knowing which cards to keep as a defender may sometimes depend on what declarer doesn’t do.

Today’s hand comes from “Planning in Defence” — part of the excellent Bridge Technique Series (Master Point Press), written by David Bird and Marc Smith. Put yourself in the East seat and walk through the play until you come to the critical moment.

West leads three rounds of spades against five clubs. Declarer ruffs the third round, then continues with four rounds of clubs. You are in the East seat and have discarded one heart on the third spade and another on the third club. This means that you are down to heart Q-J-9, and diamond 10-9-7-3 and must make yet another discard. So what do you choose?

(Incidentally, in the real world, you might be able to rely on some suit-preference clues from your partner. But let’s assume you are playing with a player whom you do not trust.)

In these situations it is usually right to retain the same suit length as dummy, or as declarer, if his length in the side-suits is known. Therefore it looks best to retain four diamonds. However, there is a more accurate pointer.

Declarer made no attempt to ruff a heart in dummy. Therefore you can conclude that he had no need to do so. Accordingly, he holds no more than a doubleton in the suit. Hence, he has four diamonds, so you must retain that suit.

For details of Bobby Wolff’s autobiography, The Lone Wolff, contact [email protected]. If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, please leave a comment at this blog. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2011. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].

The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, September 25th, 2011

October 9th, 2011  ~  admin  ~  Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, September 25th, 2011 

If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, e-mail him at [email protected]. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2011.