The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, February 24th, 2011

March 10th, 2011  ~  admin  ~  6 Comments 

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

 

South	West	North	East
1 NT	Pass	3 NT	All Pass

Opening Lead: ♣ Six

“He hears … the sound

— John Milton

Three of the players who habitually make up the rubber game at the Dyspeptics Club have long believed that South is an accomplished expert in the black arts. What else but witchcraft could explain the rock-crushers that he picks up with such frequency? 

South’s complacent response — that he simply gets more out of his cards — frequently makes North choke on his medicinal vodka and tonic. And deals such as today’s weaken South’s case. 

He declared three no-trump on the lead of a low club to East’s king and a club continuation. Winning the second club, South crossed to a top diamond to take the heart finesse. The defenders ran the clubs, then exited with a diamond. South took this in hand, cashed the heart ace in case the jack fell, then took the rest of the diamonds, eventually trying the spade finesse. When it lost, South lamented that an unlucky combination of circumstances had defeated him. North snorted and caustically commented that perhaps a 100 percent line had not been good enough for him. Can you see what he was getting at? 

North had fractionally overstated his case, but nonetheless the contract could not be defeated as the cards lay. The winning line is for South to take the second club, cash two rounds of diamonds, then exit with a club. West can take his winners, but must then lead a major suit and concede the ninth trick.

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, February 23rd, 2011

March 9th, 2011  ~  admin  ~  3 Comments 

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

 

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

Opening Lead: ♠ Two

“Whoever in discussion adduces authority uses not intellect but rather memory.”

— Leonardo da Vinci

I remember sitting in on a tutorial given by John Mohan to a class of juniors. He made an excellent point, one that I had never considered previously. He said that there is NO suit combination where you can get more tricks from leading it yourself than having the opponents tackle it for you. Given that clue, how would you tackle four hearts on a spade lead? 

I’m guessing that most people would win and draw trumps before going after clubs. Recognizing that they could afford to lose a trick, some would cash the club ace before taking the finesse; others would take both top clubs from hand, but whichever route they went, they would be doomed to one down because of the bad break. 

Let’s revisit the deal, remembering John Mohan’s axiom. Win the spade lead, draw trumps, cash the spade king and club ace, then cut loose with a diamond. If East wins to lead a second club through you, either the suit is splitting or East has the length — so you will have no problem making at least 10 tricks. As the cards lie, the defenders must play three rounds of diamonds to prevent you from getting an easy 10th trick. You ruff the third and lead a club from the board. When East shows out, you duck the trick to West and wait for a ruff-sluff, or a club lead into your tenace.

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, February 22nd, 2011

March 8th, 2011  ~  admin  ~  2 Comments 

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

 

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

Opening Lead: ♦ King

“Up! up! my Friend, and quit your books;

— William Wordsworth

Three years ago IBPA’s Book of the Year Award went to “I Love This Game” by Germany’s Sabine Auken. Telling a story against herself, Auken describes the following deal from the German trials, which identifies the “kill point” — where a player’s actions sealed the fate of the contract. 

Against six spades the lead was the diamond king — fortunately for declarer — rather than the fatal heart. South won in hand and led her spade queen, and when West showed out, the contract’s fate had already been sealed. 

Auken now unblocked the club ace and led a spade to dummy to play the club queen and discard her diamond deuce. But West thoughtfully allowed the club queen to hold, and East ruffed the next club. With clubs still not established, the slam now had to fail. 

To cater for a 3-0 trump break plus the club king with West, the club ace must be cashed at trick two. Then, when West shows out on the spade queen, you overtake that card for an immediate ruffing finesse in clubs (pitching a heart from hand). Even if West wins and returns a diamond, forcing dummy to ruff and leaving it with just one trump compared to East’s two, dummy’s master clubs can be co-opted as a second “trump” suit. 

Declarer leads out winning clubs, but what can East do? If she ruffs, South overruffs, re-enters dummy in trumps, collecting the last spade in the process, then discards the second losing heart on the club 10.

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, February 21st, 2011

March 7th, 2011  ~  admin  ~  Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Monday, February 21st, 2011 

Dealer: South Vul: Neither	North ♠ K 3 2 ♥ A J 10 4 ♦ Q 10 7 2 ♣ 7 4
West ♠ 9 6 ♥ Q 9 8 3 ♦ A 3 ♣ Q J 8 6 3		East ♠ 10 8 7 4 ♥ 6 5 ♦ 9 8 6 4 ♣ K 9 5
	South ♠ A Q J 5 ♥ K 7 2 ♦ K J 5 ♣ A 10 2

 

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

Opening Lead: ♣ Six

“What would life be without arithmetic, but a scene of horrors?”

— Rev. Sydney Smith

When the opponents find the most damaging lead against your no-trump contract, how you continue may depend on your reading of the distribution of the danger suit. 

Against three no-trump West led the club six. East played the king, which declarer ducked. When East returned the club nine, declarer ducked again and won the third club, pitching a spade from dummy. 

Declarer has seven tricks on top and must decide where to try for the other two. It all depends on how he reads the early play. Two clubs are still outstanding. 

If East and West have one apiece, the play is to continue with a diamond. The defenders will end up with three clubs and a diamond trick, but declarer gets home, regardless of which defender has the diamond ace. 

However, East’s play in clubs indicates that the suit was probably breaking 5-3. The clue is the return of the nine at trick two. Had East started with four, the normal return is the lowest of his remaining three cards, but with three, the top of his remaining doubleton. 

South therefore decided to rely on West to hold the heart queen, rather than East to have the diamond ace. South cashed the heart king, finessed the heart 10, then ran the spades, ending in hand. He successfully finessed again in hearts, with the heart ace providing the ninth trick. 

With clubs 5-3, even if the heart finesse had lost, declarer still would have been safe as long as the diamond ace was with East.

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, February 20th, 2011

March 6th, 2011  ~  admin  ~  Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, February 20th, 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, February 19th, 2011

March 5th, 2011  ~  admin  ~  Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, February 19th, 2011 

Dealer: East Vul: Neither	North ♠ A J 9 7 6 ♥ A 8 5 4 ♦ 10 3 ♣ K 6
West ♠ K 5 4 ♥ Q 9 ♦ Q 9 8 7 6 ♣ A 4 2		East ♠ Q 2 ♥ 10 7 6 3 2 ♦ A 4 2 ♣ 8 7 3
	South ♠ 10 8 3 ♥ K J ♦ K J 5 ♣ Q J 10 9 5

 

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

* Spades

Opening Lead: ♦ 7

“We never do anything well till we cease to think about the manner of doing it.”

— William Hazlitt

In today’s deal from the NEC tournament held 12 months ago in Yokohama, both declarers went down in game in the match between Bulgaria and South Sweden. (The latter team was a medley of Swedish and South African players — hence the amalgamated name.) 

For Bulgaria the North-South pair tried three no-trump, which was far from hopeless in theory, but had no chance against repeated diamond leads.  

The Swedish declarer was in four spades. West led a diamond and East continued the attack on that suit. Declarer looks in good shape now, doesn’t he? See if you can improve on the line found at the table.  

South passed the spade eight to East’s queen. Back came a heart to the jack, queen and ace. The defenders ducked the first club and won the second to play a second heart. This had the effect of removing declarer’s last comfortable entry to hand.  

Declarer could no longer draw trumps ending in his own hand. Had he retained the trump eight by leading low to dummy on the first round of trumps, all would have been well. As it was, if he led the spade 10 from hand, it would be covered. So he did his best by playing a trump to dummy’s jack and trying to ruff a heart to hand. However, West could overruff and there was still an inevitable heart loser in dummy.

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, February 18th, 2011

March 4th, 2011  ~  admin  ~  4 Comments 

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

 

South	West	North	East
			Pass
1 ♦	Pass	2 ♣	Pass
2 ♦	Pass	3 ♦	Pass
4 ♦	Pass	5 ♦	All Pass

Opening Lead: ♥ Ace

“And now (as oft in some distempered state),

— Alexander Pope

One exciting round in the finals of the NEC tournament last year in Yokohama pitted two of the top Italians against four of their regular teammates on the national team. 

Both tables played five diamonds. For the Zimmermann squad, Fulvio Fantoni unerringly put his fingers on a spade lead. Nunes won the king and shifted to hearts, and the deal was over; down one. 

In the other room for the Lavazza team, Norberto Bocchi led the heart ace, knowing South had no major-suit stops. Agustin Madala encouraged the lead; but was that the right thing to do? Perhaps he should have seen that a spade shift might be necessary. Bocchi continued hearts and Pierre Zimmermann ruffed, knowing that if the spade finesse worked, he would have no problem making the hand. To increase his chances, Zimmermann correctly decided to play on clubs before taking the spade finesse. 

The extra chance of giving up a club after drawing trumps was the hope that either defender had a doubleton club king or that East would be awkwardly placed on winning the trick. Accordingly, he ducked a club to Madala. Then he could win the spade return before crossing to the club ace at trick nine. Had the club king not fallen, declarer would have played off his trumps and taken the spade finesse. When the king popped up, declarer could claim without needing the spade finesse. Very nicely done.

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, February 17th, 2011

March 3rd, 2011  ~  admin  ~  4 Comments 

Dealer: East Vul: Neither	North ♠ Q 6 ♥ Q 2 ♦ 10 8 2 ♣ K Q J 7 5 2
West ♠ 5 4 ♥ A 7 5 4 ♦ A Q 5 4 3 ♣ 9 8		East ♠ A J 10 9 7 2 ♥ J 10 8 ♦ 9 6 ♣ 10 6
	South ♠ K 8 3 ♥ K 9 6 3 ♦ K J 7 ♣ A 4 3

 

South	West	North	East
			2 ♠
Pass	Pass	3 ♣	Pass
3 NT	All Pass

Opening Lead: ♠ Five

“The effort really to see and really to represent is no idle business in face of the constant force that makes for muddlement.”

— Henry James

Today’s deal comes from the finals of the NEC tournament, held in Japan last February. Over the years some eyebrows have been raised when I criticized the use of MUD leads (middle, up, down) from three cards. I accept that it may occasionally be useful to know that your partner has led from an honor. But, more frequently, when you lead the middle card, partner might not interpret your holding till it is too late. Watch one of the world’s top pairs experiencing this problem. 

Both tables reached three no-trump, and both declared it the wrong way up. Both Wests led a spade, and both declarers found the correct technical move of rising with the spade queen, forcing East to win the trick and thus cut himself off from the long spades. Had declarer not inserted the spade queen, then he would have had no chance, whatever he did. 

So far, so technically competent; but the difference was that in one room Agustin Madala as East knew from the lead of the spade five that his partner had at most two spades. He shifted to a diamond and found his partner with the perfect hand to defeat the game. In the other room Adam Zmudzynski had to deal with the possibility that his partner had started with either the 5-4 or 8-5-4. He guessed wrong, continuing spades. Declarer won in hand, set up first a heart, then a diamond winner, and claimed nine 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, February 16th, 2011

March 2nd, 2011  ~  admin  ~  Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, February 16th, 2011 

Dealer: South Vul: Neither	North ♠ K 9 8 ♥ 6 5 2 ♦ A Q 8 7 5 3 ♣ J
West ♠ A 7 6 4 ♥ A ♦ 9 2 ♣ Q 10 8 7 6 5		East ♠ Q J 5 2 ♥ Q J 9 4 ♦ J 6 4 ♣ 3 2
	South ♠ 10 3 ♥ K 10 8 7 3 ♦ K 10 ♣ A K 9 4

 

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

Opening Lead: ♣ 7

“Speak now, and I will answer / How shall I help you, say.”

— A.E. Housman

In today’s deal from last year’s NEC invitational teams tournament, you will see two declarers tackling the same four-heart contract. One gets the most challenging lead and makes his contract; the other gets a helpful lead … and guess what happens to him. 

In one room the Swedish declarer received a low club lead. He won in dummy and decided to lead a heart to his king, figuring that if West had a singleton heart honor, it was more likely to be the queen or jack. It was a reasonable play, but the wrong day for it. 

West won his heart ace and cashed the spade ace. The defenders then sat back to see how many more trump tricks they could collect. Declarer played for a trump reduction and managed to escape for down one. 

By contrast Claudio Nunes as South received a diabolical low spade lead from Craig Gower. Nunes guessed well to rise with dummy’s king and, even better, to lead a trump to the eight and ace, making the trump position clear. 

Gower played two more rounds of spades. Nunes ruffed and immediately cashed three rounds of diamonds. When East followed suit, Nunes pitched a club, led a trump to the queen and king, and now could play the club ace, ruff a club, then run the diamonds. 

In the three-card ending, East could do no better than discard a spade. Nunes pitched his master club and led a diamond at trick 12 to ensure one more trump trick for himself and bring home 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: Tuesday, February 15th, 2011

March 1st, 2011  ~  admin  ~  2 Comments 

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

 

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

Opening Lead: ♣ four

“Learning, that cobweb of the brain,

— Samuel Butler

To celebrate the NEC invitationals teams currently taking place in Yokohama, all this week’s deals come from last year’s event.

In the later stages of the qualifying tournament there were many Souths who attempted four spades, running into an unfavorable lie of the minor-suit cards and going two down at almost every table.

At many tables West had doubled the opening spade bid (a call I heartily agree with, despite the balanced nature of the West hand, since it is safer to get into your opponents’ auction at your first turn than to wait till they have defined their hands and can thus judge better how to handle your intervention). Where that was the case, East had no trouble defending correctly.

When Sartaj Hans of Australia played the spade game on an unopposed auction, he received a low club lead. Following the BOLS bridge tip given by Tony Forrester about the power of the closed hand (the defenders cannot see declarer’s hand), he smoothly called for a low card from dummy at trick one.

Fooled, East won the club ace and tried to give his partner a ruff. That let declarer discard both his heart losers on the club winners and play a diamond. He now had the tempo to set up a diamond and ruff a diamond in dummy, making 10 tricks. Hans was the only declarer in the field to bring home his game 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].