November 30th, 2010 ~ admin ~ 4 Comments 
| Dealer: North
Vul: None |
North
♠ K 7 5
♥ A 7 4
♦ Q J 6
♣ A 8 7 4 |
|
| West
♠ Q 6 4
♥ J 8 3 2
♦ K 10 8 4
♣ J 9 |
 |
East
♠ 3
♥ Q 10 9
♦ A 9 7 3 2
♣ Q 10 3 2 |
| |
South
♠ A J 10 9 8 2
♥ K 6 5
♦ 5
♣ K 6 5 |
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
1♣ |
Pass |
| 1♠ |
Pass |
1 NT |
Pass |
| 2♦* |
Pass |
2♠ |
Pass |
| 4♠ |
All Pass |
|
|
| *New Minor, a forcing relay |
Opening Lead: ♦ 4
“Men talk of killing time, while time quietly kills them.”
— Dion de Boucicault
Sometimes you duck with the idea of saving your honors for later, when you can get the maximum use out of them.
For example, when West leads the diamond four against four spades, it looks normal to put up an honor from dummy. However, if East wins and does not return the suit (allowing South to discard, and then discard again on dummy’s established diamond honor), South will lose a trick in each side suit, making only nine tricks unless he takes an inspired view in trumps.
Now let’s see what happens if South plays low from dummy at trick one. It is going to take a pretty brave East player to insert the nine and run the risk of losing to a singleton 10 in declarer’s hand, or possibly even to a doubleton 10 if West’s lead was from K-8-4 originally.
Surely, most East players will put up the ace. This will enable South, sometime later in the deal, to make a routine loser-on-loser play in diamonds for his contract. (South runs the diamond queen while discarding a club and afterwards discards a heart on the jack.)
The recommended play also picks up a trick when East started with both the diamond ace and king, but not the 10. Would anybody insert an eight or nine from A-K-9-x or A-K-8-x when dummy played low? If they would, you should either stop playing against them, or hold your cards much farther back!
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
K 7 5 |
| ♥ |
A 7 4 |
| ♦ |
Q J 6 |
| ♣ |
A 8 7 4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
1♦ |
Pass |
| 3 NT |
Pass |
5♦ |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
ANSWER: Some auctions do not require excessive navel contemplation. You showed a balanced 13-15, and partner suggested that five diamonds might be better than no-trump. You may not agree with him, but you were not consulted, since you have described your hand already. So pass and respect his decision. (Maybe partner has seven diamonds to the king, the spade ace and club king, and a void in hearts.)
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 2010. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].
November 29th, 2010 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Monday, November 15, 2010
| Dealer: West
Vul: E/W |
North
♠ K 7 6 4
♥ 8
♦ A Q 3
♣ A Q J 7 6 |
|
| West
♠ Q 10 2
♥ J 7 6 3 2
♦ K 10 2
♣ 8 3 |
|
East
♠ 5
♥ A K Q 9 4
♦ J 7 6 4
♣ K 5 4 |
| |
South
♠ A J 9 8 3
♥ 10 5
♦ 9 8 5
♣ 10 9 2 |
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
Pass |
1♣ |
1♥ |
| 1♠ |
3♥ |
4♥ |
Pass |
| 4♠ |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead: ♥ 3
“It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor.”
— Seneca
Today’s deal has points of interest in both the bidding and the play. After West’s pre-emptive jump to three hearts, North is too good simply to bid four spades. (Remember, facing an overcall, a jump-raise is weak and shapely. It is not a limit raise, which one would show with a cuebid.) Since he could make slam opposite as little as ace-queen-fifth of spades and the club king, North bids four hearts to emphasize a strong raise to four spades, suggesting short hearts. South signs off in four spades, and the focus shifts to the defenders.
After West’s dutiful opening lead of a heart, East should shift to diamonds as the only possible point of attack. It is conceivable that the defense might establish a third-round diamond trick for themselves before declarer can set up the clubs for the diamond discards he needs. True, for this to happen, West must furnish at least the diamond king and a trump trick — but East loses nothing by trying for this remote chance.
Actually, this play (correctly followed up) gives the defenders a trick in each suit. If West is allowed to win the spade queen early on, he can play a second diamond, and declarer must now lose both a club and a diamond for down one. It does declarer no good to cash both top trumps and shift to clubs — East wins the club king and leads a second diamond. West can ruff the third club and lead to his partner’s diamond winner.
LEAD WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
9 7 5 3 |
| ♥ |
4 2 |
| ♦ |
J 7 6 |
| ♣ |
Q 9 7 4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
|
1♣ |
| Pass |
1♥ |
Dbl. |
Rdbl. |
| 1♠ |
3♣ |
All Pass |
|
| |
|
|
|
ANSWER: The best suit in which we can hope to establish tricks looks like diamonds to me, so I would lead the diamond six. There is also a good case for leading hearts to build extra trump tricks for our side, but that might allow declarer to pitch his losers on dummy’s heart 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 2010. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].
November 28th, 2010 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, November 14, 2010
| Dear Mr. Wolff:
How can I warn my partner discreetly to hold her cards back, or ask my opponents not to look?
— Show and Tell, Willoughby, Ohio
ANSWER: There are two practices you can follow. The first is to ask one opponent to hold HIS cards back and then extend the warning to your partner. The second is to say to your partner that you can see her cards. (If you can see them, the opponents must be even better placed.)
Dear Mr. Wolff:
Holding ♠ K-9, ♥ A-Q-J, ♦ A-10-4-3-2, ♣ J-6-4, I assume you would open one no-trump if given the chance. But what would you do if your RHO opened in a black suit? Would you still overcall one no-trump, or would you consider doubling one spade? Would you bid one diamond over one club?
— Second-Hand Rose, Dodge City, Kansas
ANSWER: Two tough questions. I prefer the no-trump call over one club, since even if the opponents have clubs, they have not yet led the suit, and LHO may well opt for another suit at his first turn. Over one spade it is very close. I’d double if my partner was a passed hand, but otherwise I can live with the no-trump bid.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
Holding ♠ K-6-4-3-2, ♥ Q-4-2, ♦ Q-10-8, ♣ A-7, would you ever open the bidding? If you passed and your LHO opened with a strong no-trump, would you balance over it when it was passed back to you?
— Second Chance, Corpus Christi, Texas
|
|
ANSWER: This is a slightly unfair question because you did not specify vulnerability or position. It is a clear-cut opening bid in third seat, and perhaps in first seat nonvulnerable (particularly if the response of one no-trump was not forcing). If I passed, I’d only balance over one no-trump if nobody was vulnerable. At rubber, balancing makes sense on the first, second or third deal, if nobody had a partscore.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
What should you do when you discover, in the middle of the hand, that you have revoked? Must you tell your opponents? Are you permitted to revoke again without penalty?
— Five-Suiter, Mitchell, S.D.
ANSWER: You must not deliberately revoke again, so you must follow suit at the appropriate moment and take your penalty. Curiously, you are NOT obliged to say anything. I suppose if your opponents do not notice, they don’t deserve to get their free trick!
Dear Mr. Wolff:
I was astonished to read, in a recent column, the advice to responder to “start with a takeout double” in a sequence where partner has already bid. I thought a double was for takeout, and thus forcing, only when partner had not bid; in all other cases it would be for penalties.
— Doubly Confused, Tigard, Ore.
ANSWER: Let us not focus on your side having bid to determine the meaning of a double. The negative double in response to an opening bid means that all initial doubles of overcalls of four spades or lower are geared toward takeout. Additionally, when the opponents find a fit, all doubles by either player at their second turn tend to be takeout. Only at later levels do doubles become more penalty-oriented, and even then, they are often optional. |
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 2010. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].
November 27th, 2010 ~ admin ~ 2 Comments
| Dealer: East
Vul: None |
North
♠ 8 7 4
♥ A Q 6 5
♦ 8 6 5
♣ 7 5 4 |
|
| West
♠ Q 3 2
♥ 8 3
♦ A K J 4 3
♣ K 9 3 |
|
East
♠ 5
♥ 10 9 7 4 2
♦ 10 9 2
♣ J 10 8 6 |
| |
South
♠ A K J 10 9 6
♥ K J
♦ Q 7
♣ A Q 2 |
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
|
Pass |
| 1♠ |
Pass |
2♠ |
Pass |
| 4♠ |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead: ♦ K
“My occupation in my solitary pilgrimages was to recall every yard of the old road as I went along it, and to haunt the old spots, of which I never tired.”
— Charles Dickens
How should you play four spades after West leads three rounds of diamonds?
A key play comes at the third trick. You must ruff the third diamond with the trump nine, retaining the six as a way to reach dummy. Now it looks natural to go after trumps by leading out the top winners. If the queen of trump falls under the ace and king, you will make an overtrick by unblocking the heart king and jack, crossing to dummy with the trump eight, and throwing your two clubs on the ace and queen of hearts.
However, if you play this way today, you will go down. You cannot take your four heart winners, because of the lack of entries to dummy, so the defenders will make a trump, two diamonds and a club. The safest way to overcome this layout is to lead the trump 10 at trick four. If West plays low, you will make six trumps, three hearts (overtaking the second round) and the club ace. If instead West takes the 10 with the queen, you will win his return, unblock your top hearts from hand, and draw trumps ending in dummy. You will make five trumps, four hearts and the club ace.
Incidentally, this plan would also work when trumps are 4-0, as long as East has the club king. You can overtake your heart jack at the appropriate moment and subsequently finesse in clubs.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
8 7 4 |
| ♥ |
A Q 6 5 |
| ♦ |
8 6 5 |
| ♣ |
7 5 4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
2♦ |
Dbl. |
Pass |
| 2♥ |
Pass |
4♦ |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
ANSWER: When you responded two hearts, you showed a hand in the range 0-8 HCP. Facing that, your partner made a strong slam-try. Now, in context, you do have pretty good trumps. You should jump to five hearts, suggesting decent hearts but not much else, and let partner make the final decision.
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 2010. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].
November 26th, 2010 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Friday, November 12, 2010
| Dealer: North
Vul: N/S |
North
♠ Q J 4 3 2
♥ Q 10
♦ Q J 6
♣ A J 2 |
|
| West
♠ K 10 8 5
♥ A
♦ A 10 8 5 4 3
♣ 9 6 |
|
East
♠ 6
♥ K 5 3
♦ K 9
♣ K Q 10 8 7 5 3 |
| |
South
♠ A 9 7
♥ J 9 8 7 6 4 2
♦ 7 2
♣ 4 |
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
1♠ |
2♣ |
| 2♠ |
3 NT |
Pass |
Pass |
| 4♥ |
Dbl. |
All Pass |
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead: ♣ 9
“Life without industry is guilt, and industry without art is brutality.”
— John Ruskin
Today’s deal, from the final of the United States Bridge Championships to select a team for the 2007 World Championships, features a superb defense by Zia Mahmood and Michael Rosenberg. Their team went on to win the silver medal, behind Norway.
In the other room Zia and Michael’s counterparts as East-West had scored plus 430 in three no-trump. But here, an enterprising South elected to sacrifice in four hearts, and North did well to let his partner stew in his own juice rather than rescuing in four spades. It appears that two down, for plus 500, is the limit — two hearts, two diamonds and a spade trick — but Zia’s reasoning led to a third undertrick.
His club lead was won by dummy’s ace, Rosenberg playing the three. Declarer then played the heart queen, putting Zia back on lead. Because East’s simple overcall showed values, Zia accurately placed him with the red kings and a singleton spade. (Rosenberg’s club three was suit preference, suggesting the diamond king.)
So Zia shifted to a low diamond, which went to Rosenberg’s king, and the spade return was taken by South’s ace. East won the ensuing trump lead with the king and played a diamond to West’s ace. Then the spade king and a spade ruff produced plus 800.
Note that had Zia played the diamond ace and a second diamond, the defenders’ communications would have been cut for the spade ruff.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
K 10 8 5 |
| ♥ |
A |
| ♦ |
A 10 8 5 4 3 |
| ♣ |
9 6 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
|
1♣ |
| 1♦ |
Dbl. |
Rdbl. |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
ANSWER: Your partner’s redouble shows a good hand (typically upwards of 10 HCP, rarely based on diamond support). You would normally pass and await clarification, but here your extra shape suggests you continue describing your hand pattern by bidding one spade. You have not shown your extra values yet, but you can do so later, assuming the auction continues.
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 2010. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].
November 25th, 2010 ~ admin ~ 4 Comments
| Dealer: South
Vul: All |
North
♠ A 9 3 2
♥ 9 4
♦ A J 6 5 2
♣ 8 3 |
|
| West
♠ J 10 8 5
♥ Q J 10 7
♦ 9 7
♣ Q 10 4 |
|
East
♠ —
♥ K 8 6 2
♦ Q 10 8
♣ K J 9 6 5 2 |
| |
South
♠ K Q 7 6 4
♥ A 5 3
♦ K 4 3
♣ A 7 |
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1♠ |
Pass |
3♠ |
Pass |
| 4♠ |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
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|
Opening Lead: ♥ Q
“Life is a foreign language — all men mispronounce it.”
— Christopher Morley
Sometimes the secret of when not to finesse is based on tempos, rather than endplays. In four spades today you might make 12 tricks with only a modicum of luck. However, as you might expect, you will not be receiving much in the way of good breaks today!
Declarer won the heart lead and played the trump king, discovering the 4-0 break. South was still optimistic that all would be well and that an overtrick would roll in as long as West held the diamond queen. But when declarer played a diamond to dummy’s jack, East won with the queen and switched to clubs, dislodging the ace. Declarer drew two more rounds of trump, then played on diamonds, hoping that West would follow two more times. However, as so often happens when a hand has been misplayed, there was no reprieve. West ruffed the third round of diamonds, and the defenders took a heart and a club to put the contract one down.
Did you spot declarer’s mistake? He needed to establish the diamond suit in such a way that he could enjoy a discard before the defenders could cash out on him. Suppose he takes the diamond king and plays a second diamond, rising with dummy’s ace. He can now concede a diamond trick to East, who will no doubt clear the club suit. No problem! Declarer draws two more rounds of trump with the queen and ace, then plays a good diamond, throwing a club. West can ruff this trick, but the defenders can score only three tricks.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
A 9 3 2 |
| ♥ |
9 4 |
| ♦ |
A J 6 5 2 |
| ♣ |
8 3 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
1♣ |
Dbl. |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
ANSWER: Textbooks of old would advise you to redouble here with any nine-count. But if you redouble and hear the opponents bid or jump in hearts, you will have no idea what to do next. Best is to bid one diamond, then bid spades over their hearts, describing your hand precisely.
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 2010. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].
November 24th, 2010 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, November 10, 2010
| Dealer: North
Vul: All |
North
♠ K 10 9 3
♥ Q 9 7 2
♦ Q 10 3
♣ A 4 |
|
| West
♠ 4 2
♥ A 8 6
♦ J 7 6
♣ Q J 10 5 2 |
|
East
♠ 6 5
♥ K 10 4
♦ K 8 5 4 2
♣ 9 7 6 |
| |
South
♠ A Q J 8 7
♥ J 5 3
♦ A 9
♣ K 8 3 |
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
Pass |
Pass |
| 1 NT |
Pass |
2♣ |
Pass |
| 2♠ |
Pass |
4♠ |
All Pass |
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead: ♣ Q
“So they speak,
Darkened by ignorance; and so they fall —
Tossed to and fro with projects, tricked, and bound
In net of black delusion.”
— The Bhagavad-Gita
When it becomes clear to a defender that the cards lie well for declarer, it may be right to take a trick with an unnecessarily high card to tempt declarer to abandon a winning strategy.
That was the policy adopted — with devastating effect — by Malcolm Harris (East), defending against the normal contract of four spades. Before you condemn declarer too quickly, consider how you would have played the deal.
East led the club queen, and South could see four possible losers — three hearts and a diamond. Declarer won with dummy’s ace, drew trumps in two rounds, then eliminated clubs by cashing the king and ruffing the last club in dummy.
Next came the heart two toward the closed hand, to the four, jack and ace. West returned the heart eight to dummy’s nine — and the king from Harris. He had appreciated that if South held both the queen and ace of diamonds as was almost guaranteed by the auction, then if he captured the heart nine with the 10 to return a diamond, declarer would have no alternative but to run this to dummy’s queen — successfully.
When East won the second heart with the king, South would almost certainly place West with the A-10-8-6 of hearts. If so, South could finesse dummy’s seven, then cash the queen, providing a diamond discard and an overtrick. Deceived, declarer rose with the diamond ace and led a heart to the seven and 10, and Harris cashed his diamond king for down one.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
A Q J 8 7 |
| ♥ |
J 5 3 |
| ♦ |
A 9 |
| ♣ |
K 8 3 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
|
1♦ |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
ANSWER: In the early days of bridge, overcalls used to show weak hands and takeout doubles promised opening bids, which could be off-shape. These days, the upper range even for a one-level overcall is about a 16-count. So South can bid a comfortable one spade, perhaps planning to come in again if the opponents settle in diamonds. To double, then bid spades, South would need an extra queen.
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 2010. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].
November 23rd, 2010 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, November 9, 2010
| Dealer: South
Vul: All |
North
♠ A 5 3 2
♥ Q J 10 4
♦ 9 6 5
♣ 4 2 |
|
| West
♠ 9
♥ 9 8 7
♦ K J 3 2
♣ A Q 8 6 3 |
|
East
♠ 6 4
♥ K 6 5 2
♦ Q 10 8
♣ J 10 9 5 |
| |
South
♠ K Q J 10 8 7
♥ A 3
♦ A 7 4
♣ K 7 |
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1♠ |
Pass |
2♠ |
Pass |
| 4♠ |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead: ♥ 9
“None but the well-bred man knows how to confess a fault, or acknowledge himself in an error.”
— Benjamin Franklin
In today’s deal from the Dyspeptics Club, South picked up his rock-crusher with the air of a man who knew he deserved nothing less and drove to game as soon as he found the spade fit. The lead of the heart nine encouraged him to believe that the deal would be a pianola. (For those of you too young to remember, a pianola “plays itself.”)
He covered the heart nine with the 10, which held the trick. Then he drew trumps in two rounds and paused for reflection, realizing that there was a shortage of entries to dummy to set up the hearts. Finally, shrugging his shoulders, he cashed the heart ace, hoping for a minor miracle, then crossed to the spade ace and advanced the heart jack, covered by East. South ruffed and played the diamond ace and a second diamond. East overtook his partner’s jack to shift to a club, and down South went.
For once, North was temporarily silent, giving South the opportunity to complain about his bad luck. That triggered an outburst from North, in which “pinhead” was the most flattering epithet. Can you see what North was upset about?
Four spades is cold after the heart lead, as long as declarer wins the first trick with the heart ace. He then draws trump — in three rounds if necessary — preserving dummy’s entry. Next he knocks out the heart king and can claim at least 10 tricks: three hearts, six spades and the diamond ace.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
A 5 3 2 |
| ♥ |
Q J 10 4 |
| ♦ |
9 6 5 |
| ♣ |
4 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
1♣ |
1 NT |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
ANSWER: Opinions would be divided about whether you have enough to invite if you were facing an opening bid of one no-trump. However, the upper range for a one-no-trump overcall is a fraction higher, and there are so many ways that a Stayman inquiry might work here that it is clear to bid two clubs, then invite game in either no-trump or a major-suit fit, if you find one.
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 2010. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].
November 22nd, 2010 ~ admin ~ 2 Comments
| Dealer: East
Vul: All |
North
♠ K 9 8 3
♥ Q 9 6
♦ K Q 7 5
♣ Q 8 |
|
| West
♠ 4
♥ A K 5
♦ 10 9 8 3
♣ J 10 7 6 3 |
|
East
♠ A 10 7 2
♥ 10 7 4 3
♦ J 4 2
♣ 5 2 |
| |
South
♠ Q J 6 5
♥ J 8 2
♦ A 6
♣ A K 9 4 |
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
|
Pass |
| 1 NT |
Pass |
2♣ |
Pass |
| 2♠ |
Pass |
4♠ |
All Pass |
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead: ♥ K
“I think the necessity of being ready increases. Look to it.”
— Abraham Lincoln
Defending against four spades, how should you (East) signal when your partner leads the heart king? Should you encourage or discourage? The answer is that you should encourage violently, using the heart seven to make sure your partner does not shift. You do not expect your partner to have a side-winner, but a heart continuation cannot cost and, as you shall see, is actually the key to the defense.
Accordingly, your partner continues with ace and another heart. Declarer wins the third heart in dummy, plays a spade to his queen, and then guesses well by leading a spade back to dummy’s king (your partner discarding the diamond three). You have the choice of winning with the ace or ducking. Plan the defense.
The first step is to count the points. Your partner cannot hold more than a side jack, so you have no side winners to come. Can you manufacture any other trick?
Yes, you can. Ducking the spade will achieve nothing — declarer will simply continue to draw trumps and has 10 winners. Instead, take the second spade and play a fourth heart, giving declarer a useless ruff and discard. This promotes a trick for your trump 10, whichever hand declarer ruffs in. If he ruffs in dummy, you can cover dummy’s remaining spade spot; if he ruffs in hand, he can no longer finesse against the spade 10.
LEAD WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
5 |
| ♥ |
10 9 7 4 2 |
| ♦ |
10 9 7 2 |
| ♣ |
J 8 6 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
2♣ |
Pass |
2♠ |
| Pass |
5 NT |
Pass |
6♠ |
| All Pass |
|
|
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ANSWER: West was looking for higher things when he used the grand-slam force, but he got the weakest response. Your best chance is to try to set up a side-suit winner and hope partner has a trump trick. Dummy rates to have a long suit and a spade fit, so take your pick of hearts or diamonds and cross your fingers. My bet would be on the shorter suit; hence, I’d lead a diamond.
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 2010. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].
November 21st, 2010 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, November 7, 2010
| Dear Mr. Wolff:
How should I respond to a double of a four-spade opening bid? If I remove the double, is a call of four no-trump natural or artificial?
— Mile High, Riverside, Calif.
ANSWER: The double is best played as something close to optional. You pass the double unless you can remove to a contract you expect to make. The call of four no-trump in response to a double would definitely not be natural. It suggests a two-suiter, initially the minors though one can have hearts and a minor, planning to correct an inconvenient response to the next higher suit.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
Holding ♠ K-9-4-2, ♥ Q-7-5-2, ♦ A-9-3, ♣ 3-2, how would you bid when your LHO opens one club and your partner overcalls one diamond? Should you pass, raise diamonds, or bid a major?
— Standard Bearer, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
ANSWER: I am way too good to pass. My choice is to raise diamonds (hoping partner will introduce a major with extras) or to respond one heart myself. I believe that if I bid a major here, I should be happy to be raised if partner has three. This hand does not qualify under that heading, but give me the heart jack instead of the two, and I might change my mind and bid one heart.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
Recently you ran a deal where South held ♠ K-8-2, ♥ J-10, ♦ K-Q-7-6-5-4 ♣ Q-3 and had opened one diamond. When I asked my bridge partner what she thought South should rebid, the reply was: “I don’t think South should have opened one diamond to begin with!” Her reasoning was that opener can’t count both points and length, or give full HCP credit to doubletons headed by a queen or jack. So is this really a weak two-bid?
— Demanding a Recount, Columbia, S.C.
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ANSWER: It is not perfect, but I tend to follow the rule that a six-card suit plus 11 HCP equals an opening bid because the two points I mentally add for the six-carder make it up to 13. That said, I do not object to opening two diamonds. Indeed, the absence of aces may make it the value bid, but the weak diamond spots keep me from loving that call. This one is close enough that you both have sensible arguments, and no one is wrong. How Solomonic!
Dear Mr. Wolff:
If you open one no-trump and the opponents intervene, does doubling under or over the trump suit indicate whether that call is penalty or takeout? And does it matter whether you are responder or opener?
— Axolotl, San Francisco, Calif.
ANSWER: There is no right or wrong here, just partnership agreement. I play takeout doubles by both sides at the first turn after they overcall our no-trump bid, but in some partnerships I’ve made an exception for when opener hears his RHO balance. Frankly, takeout doubles are better, in my opinion, but any agreement is fine here, so long as you both know it.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
Recently the ACBL bulletin suggested that in first seat at unfavorable vulnerability, if you hold ♠ K-10-8-7-6-5-4-3, ♥ 2, ♦ 6-5-4-3, ♣ —, an opening bid of three spades rather than four spades might be appropriate. What is your opinion? Is this hand not worth seven tricks? Would you consider passing with such a poor suit?
— On the Fence, New Smyrna Beach, Fla.
ANSWER: If I bid four spades, it often acts as a transfer to “double.” If so, will I be happy? I think not. The fourth diamond represents extra trick-taking, but my weak spade spots worry me. I’d feel different with the spade jack instead of the three.
I’d open the hand four hearts if my spades and hearts were switched, but here three spades is enough — just so that next time partner can rely on my having full values when I do open four spades vulnerable. |
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 2010. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].
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