The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, January 11th, 2011

January 25th, 2011  ~  admin  ~  Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, January 11th, 2011 

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

 

South	West	North	East
1 ♦	Pass	1 ♥	Pass
2 ♣	Pass	3 ♦	Pass
3 NT	All Pass

Opening Lead: ♠ two

“War does not determine who is right — only who is left.”

— Bertrand Russell

When declarer is playing three no-trump with eight sure tricks plus a possibly wide-open suit, he does best to try to go after that ninth trick early. The defense, on the other hand, does best to try to count declarer’s tricks as soon as possible to prevent any stealing.

On West’s spade lead, declarer played low from dummy and gobbled up East’s queen. With eight quick tricks and a ninth coming from clubs, declarer’s main concern was the danger in hearts.

To conceal his trick count, declarer crossed to dummy with a spade, not a diamond (fearing the opponents would give each other count), and innocently led a club from dummy. If East plays low, South has stolen a ninth trick. Even if East plays the ace, he has to be clever enough to switch to the heart ace and a low heart. Can East be that clever?

Yes! East knows South has nine minor-suit cards. (Few bid this way with 4-4 in the minors). The opening lead has marked South with three spades, so no more than a singleton heart. By counting South’s sure tricks, East can posit declarer with five diamonds and three spades, so he knows that declarer is going for his ninth trick when a club is led from dummy. In other words, South is out there stealing!

If East thinks this clearly, he will rise with the club ace and play the ace and a second heart, collecting four heart tricks and a club and leaving South shaking his head.

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, January 10th, 2011

January 24th, 2011  ~  admin  ~  Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Monday, January 10th, 2011 

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

 

South	West	North	East
1 NT	Pass	3 NT	All Pass

Opening Lead: ♣ four

“A word to the wise isn’t necessary — it’s the stupid ones that need the advice.”

— Bill Cosby

It was Gordon Gecko who famously opined that greed was good. At the bridge table, just as in the stock market, you will sometimes find that bulls and bears make a living but pigs get slaughtered.

In today’s deal it was not uncommon for West to lead a low club against three no-trump. Despite the absence of a Stayman inquiry, leading from a moderate five-card minor is just as likely to work as leading from a chunky major.

And so it proved at many tables, when South decided to be a pig and ended up as bacon. When he played low from dummy at the first trick, East won his king and was not slow to shift to a heart. Declarer could not now avoid the further loss of three hearts and a diamond — down one.

Had declarer seen the risk, he might well have asked himself whether taking the finesse against the club king was really worth it. If he was prepared to give up on overtricks, he had a safe line for the contract. He simply rises with the club ace at trick one and goes after diamonds. With the club queen and 10 to acts as stoppers, there is no lie of the club suit that will give the defenders more than three tricks to go with their diamond ace. Thus declarer is sure to get to nine tricks before the defenders come to five winners.

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, January 9th, 2011

January 23rd, 2011  ~  admin  ~  Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, January 9th, 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, January 8th, 2011

January 22nd, 2011  ~  admin  ~  Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, January 8th, 2011 

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

 

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

Opening Lead: ♣ 7

“It is a wretched taste to be gratified with mediocrity when the excellent lies before us.”

— Isaac D’Israeli

Today’s four-spade contract comes from the Commonwealth Games. At one table, Lim, for Malaysia, made his game after a club to East’s ace, followed by the club queen to his king. He played a spade to dummy’s king and a spade back to his 10. West won his jack, but that was the end of the defense.

West should have ducked the spade 10. Declarer cannot play another spade or he will lose two more club tricks, and if he starts on hearts, West will ruff the third round and exit with the trump jack. Dummy is then dead.

Another declarer ruffed a club at trick three, West throwing a heart. Then came a heart to the ace and another club ruff, West throwing a diamond. Declarer now cashed the spade king and played a diamond, but another diamond gave the defenders trump control for down one.

English international John Armstrong showed the way. He won the club king and cashed the spade ace, thus keeping an entry to the hearts. Then he played a diamond, which the defenders won. When they continued diamonds, Armstrong ruffed, ran the spade 10, then played hearts. West could ruff when he liked, but dummy’s spade king was the entry for the remaining heart tricks.

There was an unlikely defense to the game. Had East played the club nine at trick one, he would have preserved communications. The defenders can eventually play a third round of clubs to promote a second trump trick for their side.

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, January 7th, 2011

January 21st, 2011  ~  admin  ~  Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Friday, January 7th, 2011 

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

 

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

Opening Lead: ♣ Queen

“It’s choice — not chance — that determines your destiny.”

— Jean Nidetch

As a student of both bridge and children’s literature, I am always eager to find out how the Three Little Pigs do on their ventures into the duplicate bridge club. Fortunately for me, they tend to occupy the same seat, so I and the readers can compare their performances on the problems they encounter.

Take today’s deal, for instance, where all three little pigs declared four spades, and each of them encountered a defense starting with three rounds of clubs.

The first little pig, who made his house out of straw, won the diamond shift in dummy and drew trumps, then tried to run the hearts. The unlucky break in that suit put paid to his chances.

The second little pig, who made his house out of sticks, drew only two rounds of trumps, then played on hearts. Had the suit broken 3-3, he would have drawn the last trump, of course. His hope was that the player with four hearts would have the last trump, enabling declarer to ruff the heart loser in dummy. Unlucky!

The third little pig, who relied on bricks for his house, won the diamond ace at trick four, ruffed a diamond, then drew two rounds of trumps ending in dummy. When they split, he ruffed another diamond, crossed to dummy’s heart king, ruffed the last diamond, then went to the heart queen to draw the last trump, on which he pitched his heart loser. That was 10 tricks and a perfect dummy-reversal.

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, January 6th, 2011

January 20th, 2011  ~  admin  ~  Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, January 6th, 2011 

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

 

South	West	North	East
2NT	Pass	3NT	All Pass

Opening Lead: ♠ Jack

“To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.”

— Oscar Wilde

At the Dyspeptics Club the players approach the game in the same way they approach life. North, the cynic, is constantly waiting for catastrophe to strike; East is careful and cautious, as befits an accountant. West strides like Johnny Head-in-Air at full speed into the nearest puddle. Meanwhile, South, who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, believes nothing bad will ever happen to him and is constantly surprised when things go wrong.

For example, in today’s deal, where he (South) had reached three no-trump in double-quick time, he went down almost as fast. He won the opening spade lead, cashed the club king while noticing that both opponents had followed, and heaved a premature sigh of relief before leading a club to dummy’s jack. The finesse held, but the 4-1 break meant that although South could set up a long club, he could never reach it. With no material for a ninth trick anymore, all South could do was concede down one and wait for his partner’s inevitable criticism. Was the criticism justified?

Yes, it was. When West follows to the second club (even if he deviously selects the club queen at his second turn), South should resist temptation and duck the trick. By surrendering one club trick, he ensures taking four tricks — all he needs for the contract. When East shows out on the second club, declarer can take the marked club finesse against West, then run the 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: Wednesday, January 5th, 2011

January 19th, 2011  ~  admin  ~  Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 

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

 

South	West	North	East
1 ♣	Pass	1 ♥	Pass
2NT	Pass	3NT	All Pass

Opening Lead: ♦ 10

“Praising all alike, is praising none.”

— John Gay

Today’s deal from the United Kingdom arose in the annual House of Lords vs. House of Commons bridge match for the Jack Perry Trophy. Over the last 35 years the standard of bridge in this match has generally been respectable, with quite a few occasional and even serious duplicate players bringing a touch of class to the proceedings.

When Bridget Prentice for the Commons made her natural lead of the diamond 10 against three no-trump, declarer, Lord Skelmersdale, took care to play dummy’s jack, recognizing that he might need an extra entry to dummy should East hold club length. (He could of course have played the ace, so long as he unblocked the king or queen under it.)

A club to the ace first would have captured a singleton queen, but rightly concerned with the paucity of entries to dummy, declarer called for the club jack, covered with the queen by East (Dr. John Marek) and captured with the ace. The club king was played next, bringing the 4-1 break to light. But now, Lord Skelmersdale’s careful play at trick one allowed him to re-enter dummy with the diamond ace to finesse against East’s club nine. That was nine tricks, and a game swing to the Lords when South for the Commons did not manage the minor suits to best effect.

This line of play guarded against four of the possible four-card club combinations with East, while losing to a singleton queen in either hand, so it was clearly the odds-on play.

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, January 4th, 2011

January 18th, 2011  ~  admin  ~  2 Comments 

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

 

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

Opening Lead: ♦ Jack

“I think no virtue goes with size.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

When today’s deal first arose, a sizable percentage of the field opened the South hand an inelegant two no-trump — it is, after all, closer to a balanced 20-22 count than anything else. They played in three no-trump, missing out on their nine-card heart fit when North sensibly rejected the opportunity to use Stayman, and they found that nine tricks were immeasurably easier than 10.

I’m not convinced that one deal proves anything, and there is certainly something to be said for the one-heart opening, given South’s lack of first-round controls. But at some tables where South declared four hearts, he was able to prove that there are few nearly hopeless contracts that cannot be brought home by a well-timed display of technique or virtuosity.

Against four hearts one could hardly blame West for selecting an unfortunate diamond jack as his opening salvo. Dummy played low and East took the trick with his king. If declarer had unthinkingly followed low he would have preserved his two sure diamond tricks, but with no way that he could reach dummy to cash the diamond ace and discard one of his slow club losers.

To succeed in four hearts, one must break the rules by discarding an honor unnecessarily. Notice the difference if at trick one declarer unblocks his diamond queen under the king. Later, declarer can lead his low diamond and finesse the nine, so that he can reach dummy and generate the discard he needs for his contract.

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, January 3rd, 2011

January 17th, 2011  ~  admin  ~  2 Comments 

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

 

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

Opening Lead: ♥ King

“Everything has been said, yet few have taken advantage of it. Since all our knowledge is essentially banal, it can only be of value to minds that are not.”

— Raoul Vaneigem

There are some themes dear to the hearts of bridge writers. As a consequence these themes come up more frequently in bridge columns than in real life. Today’s deal falls into that category, but that should not detract from your enjoying the problem and its solution.

With that huge hint, consider how you would play four spades after West leads three top hearts, East having echoed on the first two rounds.

The auction and the play have strongly suggested that hearts are 6-2 and that there is a danger of an overruff in hearts. If you ruff the third heart with dummy’s spade 10, East may overruff and leave you to rely on the diamond finesse. If you ruff the third heart high, you will need the spade jack to fall in two rounds or for the diamond finesse to be working. In each case you can somewhat improve on your chances by trying to ruff out the club queen, but as you will see, the layout of the cards today means that all routes are doomed to failure.

With so many unsuccessful scenarios, it may surprise you to discover that there is an equally simple route to success, one that will essentially insure your contract unless trumps are 4-0. Simply discard a diamond from dummy on the third heart. Now you can obtain the lead, draw trumps, and ruff a diamond in dummy at your leisure.

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, January 2nd, 2011

January 16th, 2011  ~  admin  ~  Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, January 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.