July 17th, 2011 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, July 3rd, 2011 
| Dear Mr Wolff:
When the opponents make a one-heart overcall, can I use a double to show four spades?
— Boss Suit, Peoria, Ill.
ANSWER: If you play Standard American, the double shows four spades. Bidding one spade shows five or more. If you play a loose club, which could show two or even fewer clubs, you may not be able to raise clubs in competition, even with four. Then it makes sense for a one-spade bid to show four or more; a double of one heart shows the minors.
Dear Mr Wolff:
Why are most of the national tournments held on the East Coast or in the Midwest or in California? Why not the Northwest?
— Forgotten Corner, Seattle, Wash.
ANSWER: With a major, the fact that you have two ways to get to four no-trump (via the Jacoby transfer and Texas) means that the first sequence can be quantitative; the second, ace-asking. With a minor you can do the same if you are prepared for just a touch of complexity: transferring to a minor and then bidding four no-trump remains quantitative, while reraising your own minor is not invitational, but Key-card.
Dear Mr Wolff:
Over a strong no-trump, I’m trying to improve my slam bidding and I want to confirm how to use Key-card Blackwood after showing my own suit. We play four-suit transfers, so we use two spades for clubs, two no-trump for diamonds, and Texas transfers to the majors at the four-level.
— Transferred Out, Doylestown, Pa.
ANSWER: National events tend to be organized wherever decent attendance can be expected and a local organizing committee will put on a good show for the attendees. The problem with the Northwest is that there are very few venues that meet those criteria. However, this fall Seattle will host a national championship, and maybe one of these days we will get back to Oregon. Portland has hosted very successful events in the past.
| |
Dear Mr Wolff:
In first position, my partner opened four spades with SPADES A-J-10-8-5-3-2, HEARTS 9-4, DIAMONDS K-Q-3, CLUBS 6 and ran into a penalty double, down 500. Perhaps it was my fault for putting down a hand with no spades, but would you open four spades here?
— Over the Top, Midland, Mich.
ANSWER: Opening four spades (as opposed to other four-level pre-empts) often acts as a transfer to double, so one wants to be careful with that call. I admit I’d be tempted with slightly better spades or a four-card minor. As it is, an opening bid of one spade seems just fine to me.
Dear Mr Wolff:
I assume you would open one no-trump in second seat with SPADES A-J-3-2, HEARTS K-J, DIAMONDS Q-5-4, CLUBS A-10-7-6. I did, and my partner bid Stayman, then over my two-spade response bid three clubs, natural and forcing. Because I had a minimum hand, I bid three no-trump. Although we made 10 tricks, we missed a decent club slam. Did I do the wrong thing?
— Mystic Pizza, Galveston, Texas
ANSWER: Your partner’s three-club call showed game-forcing values with clubs, and in this case four hearts, with a doubt about strain or level. Whenever, as here, you hold good clubs, heart-ruffing values, and a reasonable number of controls, you do not have a minimum! Raise to four clubs to see where your partner wants to head next.
|
If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, e-mail him at [email protected]. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2011.
July 16th, 2011 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, July 2nd, 2011
| Vulnerable: Both
Dealer: North |
North
♠ A K J 2
♥ J
♦ A J 3 2
♣ Q 6 4 3 |
|
| West
♠ 7 6
♥ 10 7 6 5 2
♦ Q 8 7 6
♣ K 2 |
 |
East
♠ Q 10 8 5
♥ K Q 9
♦ 10 9 4
♣ J 9 8 |
| |
South
♠ 9 4 3
♥ A 8 4 3
♦ K 5
♣ A 10 7 5 |
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
|
|
1 ♦ |
Pass |
| 2 ♣ |
Pass |
2 ♠ |
Pass |
| 2 NT |
Pass |
3 ♣ |
Pass |
| 3 ♥ |
Pass |
3 NT |
All pass |
Opening Lead: Heart five
“Nothing is so useless as a general maxim.”
— Lord Macaulay
Knowing when to duck and when to win a trick can be very difficult to judge. Consider the play in three no-trump today and ask yourself: would you have gotten the play right, even looking at all four hands?
At both tables West led a low heart. The Italian world champion sitting South ducked East’s queen and then the king. Now, when West turned up with the long hearts and the club king, declarer had to go down.
In the other room, where Tarek Sadek of Egypt was declarer, the auction followed the route shown. After North bid his shape out, South’s three hearts was a cue-bid agreeing clubs, but North’s hand seemed unsuitable for a five-level contract.
Here, too, West led the heart five to the jack, queen and four. When East continued with the heart king, Sadek, for Egypt, after considerable thought, went against conventional wisdom by taking his heart ace on the second round. Then he played ace and another club. West won the king and switched to a spade, so Sadek realized that this meant that the defenders could not run the heart suit.
Accordingly, he found the elegant (and far from obvious!) play of cashing his clubs, then exiting with a heart. East had to win and play either a spade or a diamond, thus giving declarer his ninth trick. Had West risen with the heart 10, crashing his partner’s nine, and played another spade, declarer’s heart eight would have been established.
BID WITH THE ACES
South holds:
| ♠ |
9 4 3 |
| ♥ |
A 8 4 3 |
| ♦ |
K 5 |
| ♣ |
A 10 7 5 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
|
|
1 ♣ |
Pass |
| 1 ♥ |
Pass |
1 ♠ |
Pass |
| 3 ♣ |
Pass |
4 ♣ |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
ANSWER: In this auction, facing a hand that has defined itself as invitational, your partner must bite the bullet with an invitational hand by passing or by bidding game. Thus a reraise to four clubs is best played as natural and forcing, requesting a cue-bid. So it looks logical to cue-bid four diamonds, since a control in the unbid suit rates to be what your partner wants to hear most.
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].
July 15th, 2011 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Friday, July 1, 2011
| Vulnerable: East-West
Dealer: North |
North
♠ 7 4 2
♥ Q J 8 5
♦ 5 3
♣ A 7 6 2 |
|
| West
♠ A 8 5 3
♥ 9 2
♦ Q J 9 8 6
♣ J 8 |
|
East
♠ Q J 10 9
♥ 7 6
♦ K 7 4
♣ Q 9 5 3 |
| |
South
♠ K 6
♥ A K 10 4 3
♦ A 10 2
♣ K 10 4 |
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
|
|
Pass |
Pass |
| 1 ♥ |
Pass |
2 ♥ |
Pass |
| 2 NT |
Pass |
4 ♥ |
All pass |
Opening Lead: Diamond queen
“Tis our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances, with any portion of the foreign world.”
— George Washington
South needs to look beyond the first trick when West leads the diamond queen against today’s contract of four hearts. Since declarer does not want East to gain the lead and put a spade through, his strategy at trick one depends on East. If East plays low, so does he. If East plays the diamond king, declarer wins and relies on West to have the diamond jack. As long as this is the case, South’s diamond 10 can keep East off lead.
But let’s suppose East ducks at trick one, as most defenders would. Declarer wins the second diamond, draws two rounds of trump, ruffs a diamond, and now needs to set up a club winner without letting East gain the lead for the fatal spade shift.
If declarer simply plays three rounds of clubs, he goes down without a fight. If he ducks a club to West, that player wins and exits with a club. Declarer now gets to test clubs and fall back on the spade finesse, but this will not be his lucky day.
Better is for South to cash the club ace before leading a club to the 10. After winning his now bare club jack, West has only spades and diamonds left, so he must either lead away from the spade ace or concede a ruff and discard. Either way, South has 10 tricks.
If West had a third club to return, declarer would still be able to discard a spade on the fourth club at his leisure.
BID WITH THE ACES
South holds:
| ♠ |
7 4 2 |
| ♥ |
Q J 8 5 |
| ♦ |
5 3 |
| ♣ |
A 7 6 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
|
1 ♣ |
Dbl. |
1 ♦ |
| 1 ♥ |
Pass |
1 ♠ |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
ANSWER: Your partner’s auction shows at least an ace more than an opening bid, with a decent spade suit of at least five cards. You are clearly too good to pass — indeed, with your high cards apparently working and a useful doubleton ruffing value, even a call of two spades hardly does justice to this hand. I would bid three spades instead.
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].
July 14th, 2011 ~ admin ~ 3 Comments
| Vulnerable: East-West
Dealer: North |
North
♠ A Q 10 4 3
♥ K 10 8 5
♦ Q 7
♣ K 4 |
|
| West
♠ 8 2
♥ J 9 6
♦ 9 6 5 4
♣ A J 10 6 |
|
East
♠ K 9 7 6 5
♥ 7 4 2
♦ 10 3
♣ 8 5 3 |
| |
South
♠ J
♥ A Q 3
♦ A K J 8 2
♣ Q 9 7 2 |
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
|
|
1 ♠ |
Pass |
| 2 ♦ |
Pass |
2 ♥ |
Pass |
2 NT |
Pass |
3 NT |
Pass |
| 4 NT |
Pass |
6 NT |
Dbl. |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
Opening Lead: Spade eight
“Be careful what you set your heart upon — for it will surely be yours.”
— James Baldwin
Conventionally, a double of a final no-trump contract, assuming the doubler’s side has never bid, calls for a lead of dummy’s first-bid suit. Of course, after you get the lead you wanted and win the first trick, you have to know what to do next!
Today’s hand from a team’s trial was reported by Eddie Kantar. To put you at ease, you can’t do worse than the expert in the East seat did.
As East you double to help partner on lead; partner obediently leads the spade eight, declarer plays low from dummy and you decide to grab the king, felling declarer’s jack. What would you lead now? After you decide, take a look at the full deal.
The expert in the East seat shifted to a heart. Oops … Declarer was able to take nine tricks in the red suits plus three spades. How should East have known to shift to a club rather than a heart?
East has to reason like this: If declarer has the heart ace along with the jack or queen, there is a good chance that partner’s club ace will vanish into the ether — just as it did. However, if South has the club ace and partner the heart ace, South will need four club tricks (thus a holding of A-Q-J-x or A-Q-10-9) for the defense to lose the heart ace.
If declarer’s clubs are just a touch weaker (say A-Q-10-7), the club shift won’t cost. So East should go with the odds and shift to a club.
BID WITH THE ACES
South holds:
| ♠ |
K 9 7 6 5 |
| ♥ |
7 4 2 |
| ♦ |
10 3 |
| ♣ |
8 5 3 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
|
1 ♦ |
Dbl. |
1 ♥ |
| ? |
|
|
|
ANSWER: Although I am a firm believer in trusting partner to have the right hand on which to double, I’d need just a little more than this (though maybe only the spade jack) to volunteer one spade now. My plan will be to balance in spades at the two-level if given the chance. My partner will then have a pretty good idea of my values.
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].
July 13th, 2011 ~ admin ~ 4 Comments
| Vulnerable: North-South
Dealer: West |
North
♠ K 6
♥ A K Q J 8 5 4
♦ J
♣ A Q 2 |
|
| West
♠ Q 4 2
♥ 2
♦ A Q 9 8 6 4 3
♣ 9 3 |
|
East
♠ A J 10 9 5 3
♥ 9 7 3
♦ 10 7
♣ J 4 |
| |
South
♠ 8 7
♥ 10 6
♦ K 5 2
♣ K 10 8 7 6 5 |
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
|
3 ♦ |
Dbl. |
Pass |
| 3 NT |
Pass |
5 NT |
Pass |
| 6 ♣ |
Pass |
6 ♥ |
Pass |
| 6 NT |
All pass |
|
|
Opening Lead: ??
“Where the good and the bad and the worst and the best
Have gone to their eternal rest.”
— Edgar Allan Poe
What would you consider to be the most unsuccessful opening lead of all time? I’m sure there are many possible candidates for that title, but it would be hard to argue that today’s deal doesn’t deserve a place on the short list.
It took place at the North American Fall Congress held in Honolulu and would command a prominent place in anyone’s collection of bridge curios because the opening lead determined a swing of a huge number of tricks. My thanks for the hand goes to Brent Manley, editor of the Daily Bulletins in Hawaii, where it first appeared.
Two top-class pairs were in action: World Champions Fulvio Fantoni and Claudio Nunes of Italy were pitted against Larry Cohen and David Berkowitz of the United States. North guessed to drive to slam facing the three-no-trump response, and his call of five no-trump offered a choice of slams. Trying to protect his diamond king, Cohen eventually opted for no-trump.
It is reported that West took a full five minutes before choosing his opening lead: a heart. Cohen then took considerably less time to wrap up all 13 tricks: seven hearts and six clubs.
Had West hit upon a spade lead and East returned the diamond 10, then so long as West immediately unblocked the spade queen, the defenders could have come to all 13 tricks: seven diamonds and six spades. A grand total of 26 tricks hung on that opening lead!
BID WITH THE ACES
South holds:
| ♠ |
8 7 |
| ♥ |
10 6 |
| ♦ |
K 5 2 |
| ♣ |
K 10 8 7 6 5 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
|
|
1 ♥ |
Pass |
| 1 NT |
Pass |
2 NT |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
ANSWER: Your partner has suggested a balanced 17-19, and you have a hand that makes it extremely unlikely you will take nine tricks in no-trump. (You probably won’t be able to set up clubs and reach them before the defenders clear spades or diamonds.) Therefore, the best action here is to retreat to three clubs, which is natural and nonforcing.
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].
July 12th, 2011 ~ admin ~ 4 Comments
| Vulnerable: North-South
Dealer: East |
North
♠ 9 8 6
♥ 4 2
♦ K 8 5 3
♣ A Q 9 6 |
|
| West
♠ 2
♥ Q 10 8 7 3
♦ Q 10
♣ J 7 5 3 2 |
|
East
♠ K Q
♥ K J 9 6 5
♦ A 9 6 2
♣ 10 4 |
| |
South
♠ A J 10 7 5 4 3
♥ A
♦ J 7 4
♣ K 8 |
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
|
|
|
1 ♥ |
| 4 ♠ |
5 ♥ |
5 ♠ |
Dbl. |
| All pass |
|
|
|
Opening Lead: Heart seven
“The more things change, the more they are the same.”
— Alphonse Karr
Today’s deal emphasizes the importance of forming a plan before playing from dummy at the first trick. But that is not the end of the story. You must not stick blindly to your approach when the opponents’ carding suggests a fatal flaw in the idea. Be prepared to adapt as circumstances change around you. Today’s deal is a classic in that sense. As Yogi Berra said, you can observe a lot by watching.
Against five spades doubled, West leads his fourth-best heart and South wins his ace. The spade ace is cashed, and South’s first thought should be to take three rounds of clubs, ruff a heart, and throw East in with the spade king, hoping that that player started with only three clubs. In that case he would now have to lead around to the diamond king or concede a ruff and discard. In either eventuality declarer would hold his losers to one diamond and one spade.
But when the club 10 puts in an appearance on the second round of the suit, South should change his plan. If he plays another club, East can ruff and get off play with a heart. Instead, South should ruff the heart himself and then throw East in with a trump.
Now if East has a club to return, it is into the A-9; if he does not, he must lead a diamond or a heart. Either way, the second diamond loser is eliminated.
BID WITH THE ACES
South holds:
| ♠ |
K Q |
| ♥ |
K J 9 6 5 |
| ♦ |
A 9 6 2 |
| ♣ |
10 4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
|
|
1 ♣ |
Pass |
| 1 ♥ |
Pass |
2 ♣ |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
ANSWER: Opinions will vary on whether blasting to three no-trump with this hand is the winning strategy. Would you rather give away information by bidding two diamonds here, in order to find a 5-3 heart fit when it is right? Put me down as a two-diamond bidder. Nothing will stop the opponents from leading spades anyway, if it is right!
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].
July 11th, 2011 ~ admin ~ 8 Comments
| Vulnerable: Both
Dealer: North |
North
♠ J
♥ 9
♦ K Q 10 9 7 4 2
♣ 9 7 3 2 |
|
| West
♠ Q 8 6 3
♥ Q J 8
♦ J 8 3
♣ A K 5 |
|
East
♠ 10 5 2
♥ 10 5
♦ A 6 5
♣ Q J 10 8 4 |
| |
South
♠ A K 9 7 4
♥ A K 7 6 4 3 2
♦ —
♣ 6 |
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
|
|
3 ♦ |
Pass |
| 4 ♥ |
All pass |
|
|
Opening Lead: Club king
“The spots on the dice are the music signs of the songs of heaven here.”
— Carl Sandburg
Today’s deal is an example of the play in a single suit, where the success of the contract hinges on a proper appreciation of the spot cards.
The auction was unremarkable. When North pre-empted, South wisely decided to bid what he thought he could make, knowing that slam was unlikely and that hearts would almost certainly play better than spades, even if dummy had more spades than hearts.
West led the club king, on which his partner dutifully followed with the queen to suggest good clubs. It would have been easy for West to continue clubs, but he realized that the contract was highly unlikely to go down if declarer could run the diamonds. If not, the best defense had to be to shift to a top trump to kill the potential spade ruff. How should declarer play now?
At the table South made the most of his resources. He won the trump and played two more rounds of trump, ruffed the club return, then carefully led a low spade toward dummy’s jack. It was unlikely, if not impossible, that the jack would score. More practical was that the spade 10 would come down in three rounds and that declarer’s spade nine would control the fourth round of the suit. As you can see, if declarer tackles spades from the top, he stands no chance, but with today’s lie of the cards, he can come home if he follows the recommended line.
LEAD WITH THE ACES
South holds:
| ♠ |
J 9 4 |
| ♥ |
8 3 2 |
| ♦ |
A 10 7 4 3 |
| ♣ |
9 5 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
|
1 ♣ |
Pass |
1 ♥ |
| Pass |
1 ♠ |
Pass |
3 ♥ |
| Pass |
4 ♥ |
All pass |
|
ANSWER: Leading a diamond, whether a high or low one, seems to be an all-or-nothing proposition. Since there is nothing about your hand that suggests the black suits are behaving for declarer, you might opt to go passive with a trump. If not, a spade lead looks to be your best shot to set up tricks without giving too much away.
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].
July 10th, 2011 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Sunday June 26th, 2011
| Dear Mr Wolff:
You usually comment on the bidding but chose not to in a recent column. In that deal opener bid one no-trump with a 16-count in fourth seat. (I thought a fourth-seat no-trump opener showed a balancing 10 to12-plus, making the jump to three no-trump with 11 HCPs potentially disastrous.
— Henry the Fourth, Willoughby, Ohio
ANSWER: Contrast a balancing no-trump overcall of the opponents’ opening bid, which has a wide range, of 11-15 or so, and a one-no-trump opening bid in fourth seat, which remains 15-17. Your opening-bid structure is unchanged in fourth chair if there are three passes. But if an opponent opens in front of you, you want to bid when you hold a balanced minimum hand in protective seat, knowing partner has some values. It makes sense to balance with one no-trump, as opposed to doubling then bidding no-trump with the equivalent of a strong no-trump.
Dear Mr Wolff:
In a club duplicate at favorable vulnerability, I held SPADES A-10-6-3, HEARTS 4, DIAMONDS 9-3-2, CLUBS Q-J-8-7-6. In an uncontested auction my partner opened one heart, I responded one spade, my partner rebid two clubs, and now I had to decide how to proceed. Would you pass or raise? (And if you raise, would you pass your partner’s bid of three no-trump)?
— Dream Spinner, Holland, Mich.
ANSWER: This is easy for me — I can’t imagine doing anything but bidding three clubs, invitational. The real issue is whether to pass if partner bids three no-trump. I think not. I’d bid four clubs and apologize to partner if I’m wrong. The hand has too few potential tricks outside the trump suit, and the hearts won’t set up at no-trump.
Dear Mr Wolff:
In a recent column North opened one spade and South responded one no-trump with SPADES 3, HEARTS Q-8-4, DIAMONDS K-Q-2, CLUBS A-10-9-8-7-3. Do some partnerships play a different system, or has the range for responding one no-trump to an opening bid changed from the standard 6-9 points?
— Old-Timer, Eau Claire, Wis.
ANSWER: Although Standard American has advanced somewhat with the use of the forcing no-trump in response to a major, I think a footnote might have been in order. When playing two-over-one game-forcing, partner will often use the forcing no-trump in response to a major, meaning opener cannot pass and may have to introduce a three-card minor at his second turn. Responder can then rebid two no-trump with a hand of this sort. That invites game and suggests 10-11 with no fit for partner.
| |
Dear Mr Wolff:
My partner, holding SPADES A-7-6-5, HEARTS —, DIAMONDS Q-10-8-3-2, CLUBS K-J-8-6, heard one no-trump from me and two hearts to his right. He started with a cue-bid of three hearts, and I rebid three no-trump. Should he pass now? What if the opponents double? My partner actually chose to run to four diamonds. Should that be forcing?
— On the Run, Bristol, Va.
ANSWER: If you use Lebensohl (whereby direct three-level actions are forcing and two no-trump is artificial, asking partner to bid three clubs so that you can get out at the three-level), then a direct cue-bid denies a heart stop and acts as Stayman. Yes, it is game-forcing, but responder might occasionally take a view and pass if opener bails out at four of a minor. On your quoted auction I might well run from three no-trump if it were doubled — and then I think one could play in a partscore.
Dear Mr Wolff:
Members of my bridge group have varying opinions about the nature of a takeout double. For instance, when is a first double not for takeout? And does a takeout double require an answer if there is an intervening bid? Are there any other instances when a takeout double is used other than over an opening bid?
— Double Trouble, Elmira, N.Y.
ANSWER: All low-level doubles by a player at his first turn to speak (except after a no-trump opening or an overcall) tend to be takeout. Equally, whenever you bid or overcall, and your partner passes at his first turn, your second action of doubling also rates to be takeout. And when the opponents have agreed a suit, directly or inferentially, most doubles at a low level also tend to be takeout, not penalty. In summary, low-level doubles tend to be takeout till agreed to the contrary. You do not have to bid if the next hand acts in front of you.
|
If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, e-mail him at [email protected]. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2011.
July 9th, 2011 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Saturday June 25th, 2011
| Vulnerable: North-South
Dealer: West |
North
♠ K Q 4 3
♥ A J 2
♦ A 10 6
♣ A K J |
|
| West
♠ 7
♥ K 10 9 5 3
♦ K J 8 7 5 3
♣ 8 |
|
East
♠ J 9 8 2
♥ Q 4
♦ 9
♣ Q 7 6 5 4 3 |
| |
South
♠ A 10 6 5
♥ 8 7 6
♦ Q 4 2
♣ 10 9 2 |
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
|
2 ♥* |
Dbl. |
Pass |
2 ♠ |
Pass |
3 ♥ |
Pass |
| 4 ♦ |
Pass |
4 ♠ |
All pass |
*Hearts and a minor
Opening Lead: Club eight
“People ask you for criticism, but they only want praise.”
— Somerset Maugham
In today’s deal from last year’s European Championships, four spades would have been easy if declared by North on a club lead. However, Marianne Harding as South received the singleton club lead and had to win this in dummy to draw four rounds of trump. West pitched two diamonds and a heart, and declarer now astutely led a diamond to the 10.
When that held, she decided to play East for a doubleton heart honor. She cashed the diamond ace, then the heart ace, and exited with a heart to endplay East, who had to lead a club into the tenace. Had East unblocked her heart honor under the ace, Harding would have taken her remaining club winner, then exited with a diamond to West, who would have had to concede a heart trick to dummy.
Very nicely done, but could the defense have done better? West does best to pitch two hearts and a diamond on the run of the spades, coming down to five diamonds and three hearts, and then split her honors when declarer leads a diamond toward the A-10.
Declarer wins and plays the heart ace, again forcing East to decide whether to unblock. If she does not, she is endplayed with the heart queen to lead clubs. If she does unblock, declarer cashes the club king to squeeze West.
If West bares her heart king, declarer establishes a heart. If West pitches a diamond, declarer leads the diamond 10 from dummy and eventually collects a second heart trick.
BID WITH THE ACES
South holds:
| ♠ |
7 |
| ♥ |
K 10 9 5 3 |
| ♦ |
K J 8 7 5 3 |
| ♣ |
8 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
|
1 ♣ |
Pass |
1 ♠ |
| ? |
|
|
|
| The best way to get both suits into play now is to jump to two no-trump, which guarantees at least a 5-5 pattern in the unbid suits. Even if you play a call of one no-trump as unusual here (I prefer it to be strong and balanced), your extra card in the red suits warrants the additional pre-emption. |
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ANSWER: *
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].
July 8th, 2011 ~ admin ~ 2 Comments
| Vulnerable: East-West
Dealer: North |
North
♠ A 10 3 2
♥ A 10 4 3
♦ K
♣ A K 8 7 |
|
| West
♠ J 8
♥ Q 2
♦ 8 6 5 4
♣ 10 9 6 4 2 |
|
East
♠ Q 7 6 5 4
♥ J 9 6 5
♦ Q 9 7
♣ J |
| |
South
♠ K 9
♥ K 8 7
♦ A J 10 3 2
♣ Q 5 3 |
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
|
|
1 ♣ |
Pass |
| 1 ♦ |
Pass |
1 ♥ |
Pass |
| 3 NT |
Pass |
4 NT |
Pass |
| 6 ♣ |
Pass |
6 NT |
All pass |
Opening Lead: Diamond six
“We combat obstacles in order to get repose, and when got, the repose is insupportable.”
— Henry Brooks Adams
In today’s deal from last year’s match between the Swedish and English women’s teams from the European Championships, both declarers played six no-trump.
In the room not shown here, the Swedish declarer (North) ran into a challenging defense when Nevena Senior (East) found the spade lead, then shifted to a heart when she got in with the diamond queen. However, the declarer could succeed even then.
But let’s say you receive a diamond lead (as did the English declarer), won by dummy’s king. A reasonable plan would be to win the club ace and continue with a club to your hand. With the actual layout you are rewarded by finding out that clubs are 5-1. When you cash the diamond ace and clear that suit, you might discard one card from each of dummy’s majors.
East now probably plays back a heart (best for the defense), which you win with the ace, then play the spade ace and a spade to the king. Now you cash the two diamonds to reduce to a three-card ending, discarding the heart 10 and the club eight from dummy (unless South unguards that suit).
To retain two clubs, West will be able to keep just one heart. Now when a club is played to the king, East will likewise have to retain her spade queen and be reduced to one heart. So you will win the last two tricks with the king and eight of hearts.
BID WITH THE ACES
South holds:
| ♠ |
Q 7 6 5 4 |
| ♥ |
J 9 6 5 |
| ♦ |
Q 9 7 |
| ♣ |
J |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
|
|
1 ♦ |
Pass |
| 1 ♠ |
2 ♣ |
2 ♠ |
3 ♣ |
| ? |
|
|
|
ANSWER: You must look beyond the fact that you have a minimum in high cards. Instead, focus on the double fit for your side and your fifth trump, plus your singleton club. These three factors, taken together, mean you have more than enough in reserve to bid three spades — which, incidentally, is purely competitive and not a game-try.
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].
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