October 31st, 2010 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, October 17, 2010 
| Dear Mr. Wolff:
When declaring a contract against competent opponents, which is better, to try to give yourself an extra chance at the risk of being defeated by best defense, or to assume the lie of the cards (however unlikely that may be) that you need to make the hand? I suppose either could be right, but I think, in an expert game, you must assume best defense and play accordingly.
— Table Turner, Tupelo, Miss.
ANSWER: Your question of whether to try the best line in abstract or in practice has no simple answer, but I’m big on what is best in practice. If I would not solve the problem I’m setting for my expert opponent, I’ll go for the swindle. I went down in a slam in a world championship by trying a Chinese finesse when missing six clubs to the king (and yes, the king WAS singleton!) so I’ll put my money where my mouth is.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
I held ♠ K-9, ♥ A-10-9-3, ♦ 10-4-3-2, ♣ Q-8-5. My LHO opened a weak two diamonds and my partner doubled. When my RHO bid three diamonds, should I double or bid hearts? If the latter, should I bid game?
— Olive Oyl, Cartersville, Ga.
ANSWER: You have a good hand for hearts facing short diamonds, but your partner knows his short diamonds will be useful. I’d bid four hearts with as little as the heart jack instead of the three, but as it is, I feel three hearts is enough. A double should show both majors here, I believe, and is for takeout not penalties.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
In today’s bridge article, I think you were using a system that I do not recognize. The opener bid two clubs, explained as “natural, 11-15 points.” What does “natural” mean? Do you have a pamphlet or book that explains your system?
— Lost in Neverland, Seattle, Wash.
|
|
ANSWER: I was not recommending this system. With hands from real life I present the bidding as it happened, not what I suggest you play! The pair in question use a strong club, so they bid one club with all hands of 16 or more points; hence two clubs is natural (showing clubs) and limited. Please forgive me if I did not make this clear.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
Holding ♠ A-10-4-3-2, ♥ K-9, ♦ 2, ♣ A-Q-J-10-3, I opened one club and rebid one spade over my partner’s one-heart response. When my partner rebid one no-trump, I tried two spades, and played there, making eight tricks when trumps split 3-3. My partner said this sequence suggested six clubs and five spades, but I thought the suit-quality disparity was such that a one-club opening bid was sounder. What do you say?
— The Major or the Minor?, Erie, Pa.
ANSWER: Your idea used to be the mainstream position. Players with 5-5 in the black suits would open one club no matter which suit was better. These days the reverse holds true; majors come before minors at all times, it seems. I’m somewhere in the middle: I like to bid good suits before bad ones — particularly on strong hands — so I can sympathize with your approach here.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
In a recent column, you held ♠ 10-4, ♥ K-9-7-4-3, ♦ Q-9-2, ♣ J-7-3. Partner opened two clubs, you responded two diamonds, and partner rebid two spades. You recommended a call of two no-trump, saying you’d prefer “better hearts” to bid them. How good does the heart suit have to be to become biddable?
— Rags to Riches, Winston-Salem, N.C.
ANSWER: Off the cuff, I’d say the minimum standard is a five-card suit headed by two of the top four honors, thus Q-J-9-x-x or so. However, with more shape in the minors I might also start with three hearts. So, if that hand had queen-jack-fourth of diamonds and two small clubs, I’d go the other way and bid my 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].
October 30th, 2010 ~ admin ~ 2 Comments
| Dealer: South
Vul: All |
North
♠ A Q 4 3
♥ 6 4
♦ 8 7 6
♣ A K J 2 |
|
| West
♠ 6
♥ 10 8 7 3
♦ K J 9 5 4 2
♣ 9 3 |
 |
East
♠ 7 5 2
♥ Q 9 5 2
♦ Q 10
♣ Q 10 5 4 |
| |
South
♠ K J 10 9 8
♥ A K J
♦ A 3
♣ 8 7 6 |
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1♠ |
Pass |
2 NT* |
Pass |
| 3♠ |
Pass |
4♠ |
Pass |
| 6♠ |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| *Game-forcing with spades |
Opening Lead: ♣ 9
“It is circumstance and proper measure that give an action its character, and make it either good or bad.”
— Plutarch
Against a slam it is less frequently right than you might think to make a passive opening lead, not risking giving declarer his 12th trick. The point is that a good declarer can often draw the necessary inferences, even when the lead has given nothing tangible away. This was the case in six spades on the lead of the club nine.
Declarer knew West well enough to take the lead at face value, as being based on shortage. He could see that any straightforward line of play would inevitably lead to the loss of a diamond and a club. So he won the club ace and took the seemingly unnecessary heart finesse.
Then he played off five rounds of spades to produce a six-card ending. This reduced East (who had to keep all his clubs or else declarer would simply duck a club) to one heart, two diamonds and three clubs. Accordingly declarer cashed his two hearts, forcing East to pitch a diamond. Now declarer read the position perfectly. He took the diamond ace and ran the club eight around to East, who won the trick but had to return a club into dummy’s K-J.
East had another option in the six-card ending. He might have kept all his hearts and clubs, and pitched his diamonds. Now declarer has to cash the diamond ace to squeeze East in the same way as described previously.
A diamond leads beats the slam outright, and a heart lead would probably do the job too.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
A Q 4 3 |
| ♥ |
6 4 |
| ♦ |
8 7 6 |
| ♣ |
A K J 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1♣ |
Pass |
1♥ |
Pass |
| 1♠ |
Pass |
2♦ |
Dbl. |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
ANSWER: Two diamonds is the fourth suit — artificial and game-forcing. If your RHO had not doubled, you would have had a vicious problem. Here, though, your task has been made much easier. You can pass, suggesting a balanced hand without three-card support for your partner and then wait for him to describe his hand. Thanks, 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 2010. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].
October 29th, 2010 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Friday, October 15, 2010
| Dealer: East
Vul: None |
North
♠ 6 5 4 2
♥ 5 4
♦ K 8 7 3
♣ K 10 9 |
|
| West
♠ 7 3
♥ A 10 7 3
♦ A J 10 2
♣ Q 5 4 |
|
East
♠ 8
♥ K J 9 8 6 2
♦ 9 6
♣ J 7 6 2 |
| |
South
♠ A K Q J 10 9
♥ Q
♦ Q 5 4
♣ A 8 3 |
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
|
2♥ |
| 3♠ |
4♥ |
4♠ |
All Pass |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
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|
Opening Lead: ♥ A
“Truth, like a torch, the more it’s shook it shines.”
— Sir William Hamilton
In four spades (reached after South’s strong jump overcall of the pre-empt), West led the heart ace and a second heart to East’s king. It looks as if you need a 3-3 diamond break, or else must guess which opponent has ace doubleton. But the auction suggests that West may well hold four diamonds headed by the ace. Can you see what you can do if that is the case?
Provided that East has the diamond jack, 10 or nine in his doubleton, and holds one of the outstanding club honors, your spade game can succeed.
Ruff the heart, draw trumps, and play the diamond queen. West will win and can do little else but return a low diamond. (Everything else, except perhaps a deceptive club queen, looks worse.) You now duck the diamond to East. If he returns a diamond, the suit is 3-3 and you can discard a club from your hand. A heart lead gives you a ruff and sluff, so the best he can do is broach the club suit, thus enabling you to play that suit for no losers when the honors are divided.
Note that if either defender is forced to open up the club suit, he should do so by leading his honor, thus giving declarer the losing option of playing him for both honors.
And one final point: West should have switched to a trump at trick two. Now declarer cannot ruff dummy’s last heart except by using the diamond king prematurely.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
6 5 4 2 |
| ♥ |
5 4 |
| ♦ |
K 8 7 3 |
| ♣ |
K 10 9 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
1 NT |
Pass |
| Pass |
2♥ |
Pass |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
ANSWER: In this sequence I like to use takeout doubles from both sides of the table, and your hand qualifies for that action. You have not guaranteed four spades. Indeed, with an unsuitable hand for a takeout double, you might bid two spades yourself since partner knows from your failure to transfer that you do not have five spades. But your partner will bid on the assumption that you do have four spades.
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].
October 28th, 2010 ~ admin ~ 1 Comment
| Dealer: North
Vul: E/W |
North
♠ J 8 5
♥ J 7 5 2
♦ 10 4
♣ Q 8 3 2 |
|
| West
♠ A 10 6
♥ K 9 8
♦ J 9 7 5
♣ J 9 5 |
|
East
♠ K 9 4
♥ A 10 4
♦ Q 8 6 2
♣ 10 6 4 |
| |
South
♠ Q 7 3 2
♥ Q 6 3
♦ A K 3
♣ A K 7 |
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
Pass |
Pass |
| 1 NT |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
|
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| |
|
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|
Opening Lead: ♦ 5
“Remorse sleeps during a prosperous period, but wakes up during adversity.”
— Jean Jacques Rousseau
How should South set about playing one no-trump on a low diamond lead? The first careful play South should make is to put up dummy’s 10. Who knows, it may hold the trick! Assuming East covers the 10, I’m guessing many declarers would duck the trick, on general principle, win the next diamond, then go after hearts. Some might cash the four club winners early, hoping for a defensive error, but the result ought to be the same.
The point is that whether South leads a low heart to the jack or runs the queen from hand (hoping for a defensive error), the defenders are in control. They should emerge with three heart tricks, two spades, and two diamonds.
Mrs. Guggenheim (South), who hates to duck tricks, might do better here. She would win the first diamond, thereby preserving an exit-card. She can now make one no-trump simply by cashing the four club tricks (pitching a major-suit card from hand) and the second diamond trick. Then she exits with the third diamond. The defenders can win only two diamonds plus their four aces and kings before giving declarer her seventh trick with one of her major-suit stoppers. They have to lead one of the majors, and whichever one they broach, declarer gets to establish the third round of that suit by simply preserving her queens and jacks till they are good.
Note that if diamonds are not 4-4 (and clubs 3-3), you have no realistic chance to make your contract whatever you do.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
J 8 5 |
| ♥ |
J 7 5 2 |
| ♦ |
10 4 |
| ♣ |
Q 8 3 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
1♦ |
2♥ |
2♠ |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
ANSWER: You suspect the opponents can make a slam , so have to decide if immediate action from you will push them there, or will generate too large a penalty against you. I assume you will make about six or seven tricks in hearts, so if the vulnerability permits it, jump to four hearts. At unfavorable vulnerability, where your partner might have a better hand, a simple raise to three hearts would suffice.
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].
October 27th, 2010 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, October 13, 2010
| Dealer: North
Vul: All |
North
♠ J 10
♥ K Q 6 5 4 3
♦ A 9 2
♣ J 5 |
|
| West
♠ K 9 2
♥ 10 7
♦ J 8 5
♣ Q 9 8 6 2 |
|
East
♠ A 8 7
♥ A J 9
♦ 10 7 6 4
♣ 10 7 3 |
| |
South
♠ Q 6 5 4 3
♥ 8 2
♦ K Q 3
♣ A K 4 |
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
1♥ |
Pass |
| 1♠ |
Pass |
2♥ |
Pass |
| 2 NT |
Pass |
3 NT |
All Pass |
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead: ♣ 6
“Wrongs unredressed, or insults unavenged.”
— William Wordsworth
I’m willing to bet that if this three-no-trump deal was slipped into a pairs game, most Souths would win the opening club lead in dummy, cross to hand with a diamond, then lead a heart to the king and ace. Eventually declarer would emerge with 10 tricks and no one would think anything more of the deal, even though declarer had done his best to go down in his contract and East had let it through! Can you see why?
On winning the opening club lead, declarer should immediately go after hearts by leading a low heart from dummy. As he can afford to lose two heart tricks, he must take insurance against a defender’s holding two stoppers — which will be the case if East has the guarded heart ace.
On the actual sequence of play at the table, imagine that the heart king had been allowed to win. Now, when a second heart lead did not set the suit up, hearts would be dead. The point is that North had only one side-entry in the form of the diamond ace. Declarer can set up hearts but cannot reach them.
Ducking the first round of hearts preserves the needed additional entry in the suit itself. Declarer can win the return and play a heart to the king, ready to lead a third round if the defenders duck. If they take the ace, the suit will be good, and there is still an entry to the board.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
J 10 |
| ♥ |
K Q 6 5 4 3 |
| ♦ |
A 9 2 |
| ♣ |
J 5 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1♥ |
Pass |
1♠ |
Pass |
| 2♥ |
Pass |
3♣ |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
ANSWER: In these auctions new suits by responder at the three-level are natural and game-forcing. Here, you are well-placed to give preference to three spades; your strong doubleton is just as good as three-card support. My second choice would be to temporize with a call of three diamonds, the fourth suit, asking for clarification.
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].
October 26th, 2010 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, October 12, 2010
| Dealer: South
Vul: All |
North
♠ K 8 7 5
♥ A 9 2
♦ K 7 5
♣ A 10 3 |
|
| West
♠ Q J 10 3
♥ J 7 5
♦ 8 4
♣ 8 7 5 2 |
|
East
♠ 9 6 2
♥ Q 8 6 4
♦ J 10 9 2
♣ 9 6 |
| |
South
♠ A 4
♥ K 10 3
♦ A Q 6 3
♣ K Q J 4 |
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1♦ |
Pass |
1♠ |
Pass |
| 2 NT |
Pass |
6 NT |
All Pass |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead: ♣ 8
“He who has never hoped can never despair.”
— G.B. Shaw
In his contract of six no-trump declarer can count 12 winners if the diamonds split 3-3, but if they do not, do not despair. Brace yourselves: the only remaining chance is to bring off a squeeze. To develop this possibility, dec1arer has to give away one trick to reduce his potential winners to all the rest but one. This is almost always good technique for a squeeze.
The only suit in which South can duck a trick without dipping into his counted winners or the vital threat cards (the fourth diamond, or third heart) is spades. He should therefore immediately give away a spade trick by playing the spade ace and ducking a spade.
After this, declarer must manipulate his entries (his precise play being dependent on what the defenders shift to after taking their spade winner) toward the ending he desires.
Specifically, declarer will play three rounds of each suit other than hearts. North is left with one spade and three hearts. South is left with two hearts (one has been discarded on the spade king), one diamond and the last club winner. When the club is led, West must save his high spade, so must reduce to two hearts. North pitches his now irrelevant spade, and the focus turns to East. That player must save his high diamond, so must reduce to two hearts. Now declarer wins all three heart tricks.
If the defenders attack hearts, declarer can kill the queen or jack, then finesse successfully against the other honor.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
K 8 7 5 |
| ♥ |
A 9 2 |
| ♦ |
K 7 5 |
| ♣ |
A 10 3 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
|
1♣ |
| Dbl. |
Rdbl. |
Pass |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
ANSWER: Your partner’s pass does NOT show club length and a desire to play in this contract. It simply indicates no long suit of his own. Since you have only one four-card suit, you might as well bid it, but if the opponents double in a bloodthirsty turn, you might find one no-trump to be a less expensive spot.
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].
October 25th, 2010 ~ admin ~ 1 Comment
| Dealer: South
Vul: E/W |
North
♠ A J 6 4
♥ A 9 7
♦ J 9 5
♣ 6 5 2 |
|
| West
♠ Q 10 9
♥ J 5 2
♦ K Q 7
♣ J 9 7 3 |
|
East
♠ K 8 3 2
♥ 10 4
♦ A 6 4 3 2
♣ 10 8 |
| |
South
♠ 7 5
♥ K Q 8 6 3
♦ 10 8
♣ A K Q 4 |
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1♥ |
Pass |
1 NT |
Pass |
| 2♣ |
Pass |
3♥ |
Pass |
| 4♥ |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
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|
Opening Lead: ♠ 10
“To do two things at once is to do neither.”
— Publilius Syrus
It may sound trite, but when you have two chances for a contract and can take them both in proper order, this is generally a better approach than putting all your eggs in one basket. Today’s deal gives you just that opportunity.
The point of the play in four hearts is that declarer has three quick losers and has to negotiate a possible problem in clubs. Declarer must not pin his entire hope on a 3-3 split in clubs, since he can make provision against a 4-2 split as well. The defenders lead the spade 10, which South allows to hold the trick. After he wins the spade continuation, what next?
After taking the heart king and ace (in that order, so he can survive a 4-1 trump break with West having the bare jack or 10), he must lead the three top clubs, while leaving one trump outstanding. If the clubs split 3-3, he can take out the last trump and cash the fourth club. If the club split is 4-2 and the third round is ruffed, dummy will have a trump to ruff out the fourth. The defenders have four tricks, but nothing will have been lost in this case, since the contract would have gone down one whatever South did.
However, if the clubs split 4-2 and the defender who is long in clubs also has the last trump, the contract can be made by ruffing out the fourth club before pulling the last trump.
LEAD WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
J 9 5 2 |
| ♥ |
Q 3 |
| ♦ |
8 4 3 |
| ♣ |
Q 4 3 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
|
1♥ |
| Pass |
1♠ |
Pass |
2♣ |
| Pass |
2♦ |
Pass |
2 NT |
| Pass |
3 NT |
All Pass |
|
ANSWER: East rates to have nine cards in hearts and clubs, and is also likely to have a singleton spade, or a small doubleton, with a diamond guard. Since your partner did not double two diamonds, he does not rate to have a stack there, so I would settle for leading up to declarer’s shortage with the spade two.
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].
October 24th, 2010 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, October 10, 2010
| Dear Mr. Wolff:
At pairs with nobody vulnerable your LHO opens three diamonds, partner doubles, and RHO bids six diamonds. You hold ♠ K-10-8-5-4, ♥ Q-8-7-6-2, ♦ —, ♣ A-10-4. Would you bid, pass, or double, and what should be your partnership agreements about forcing passes?
— Stymied, Texarkana, Texas
ANSWER: It is fair to assume that if the opponents are not vulnerable, their jumps to game or slam here set up a forcing pass. That said, what is right now? I’ve no idea! You could persuade me to pass or to bid. (If I did act, I think my spade 10 suggests bidding that suit. We might be able to avoid a loser against a bad break in spades, but not in hearts.)
Dear Mr. Wolff:
When playing pairs, my partners and I have significant disagreements about how to bid in third seat with moderate values and a decent four-card major. Say I have four clubs and four hearts (or spades), each suit headed by one top honor. Should I open the major or the minor? And why?
— Chain Reaction, Fayetteville, N.C.
ANSWER: It is impossible to generalize, but I would open the minor on almost any hand where I planned not to pass any response by my partner in a new suit. Having said that, with a really bad minor or good major, I might open the major. If I’m making a tactical opening bid with 9-12 high-card points, I’d open the suit I wanted led.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
I was in three no-trump on a low heart lead to my RHO’s king. Dummy had 8-5 while I had A-J-6 in hand. To make game, I had to bring in the diamonds for only one loser. (Dummy had K-J-10-7-2, while I had nine-fourth.) Should I lead to the king, hoping to find the queen on my right doubleton or singleton? Or should I play to the jack, hoping to drive out the ace and find hearts were split 4-4? Does the size of the spot-card and thus the likelihood of my LHO having five-plus hearts make a difference? What if the game were IMPs?
— Riddler, Worcester, Mass.
|
|
ANSWER: Off the cuff, against the lead of what looked to be a five- or six-card suit, the first play looks like a huge favorite. Guessing diamonds by putting in the jack, losing to the ace won’t help! It is even clearer at IMPs. However, against the lead of the heart two, I’d lead a diamond to the jack — the best play in diamonds, in abstract.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
Is there a specific way show a void suit during the auction? I’m worried that a splinter bid in clubs might be misunderstood, particularly if it may be confused with the Gerber convention.
— Plenty of Nothing, Honolulu, Hawaii
ANSWER: First, I’d encourage you NOT to use Gerber except after no-trump openings or rebids.Blackwood does the job just as well. Meanwhile, do not abandon splinters or cue-bids.
A simple rule about splinter bids is that in any sequence, if a bid in a new suit would be natural and game-forcing, a higher bid in that suit is not natural but shortage. Just remember that principle and see where it gets you.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
Holding ♠ K-9-8-2, ♥ K-10-4-2, ♦ 10-3, ♣ 4-3-2, I responded two diamonds to my partner’s two-club opening. He rebid three clubs, and I was not sure what to do next. How do you feel about temporizing with three diamonds, hoping partner will bid a major, or raising clubs, as opposed to committing the hand to three no-trump right away?
— Stuck, Trenton, N.J.
ANSWER: I do not like the three-no-trump bid. After all, the diamond suit could be wide open. I’d prefer a four-card major to have more internal solidity than either of your suits here. So the choice is between the temporizing three-diamond call (consistent with a second negative) and the raise of clubs. I like the slam potential of this hand, and since clubs rates to be your best slam, a four-club call is best. |
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].
October 23rd, 2010 ~ admin ~ 3 Comments
| Dealer: West
Vul: N/S |
North
♠ A K 6
♥ A 4
♦ 9 6
♣ A J 9 8 6 4 |
|
| West
♠ 10 9
♥ Q 8 5
♦ A K J 8 5 4 2
♣ 5 |
|
East
♠ J 7 3
♥ K J 9 7 3
♦ 7
♣ Q 10 7 3 |
| |
South
♠ Q 8 5 4 2
♥ 10 6 2
♦ Q 10 3
♣ K 2 |
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
2♦* |
3♣ |
Pass |
| Pass |
Dbl. |
Pass |
3♥ |
| Pass |
4♦ |
Dbl. |
Pass |
| 4♠ |
Pass |
Pass |
Dbl. |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
| *9-13 points, diamonds, unbalanced |
Opening Lead: ♦ K
“The reason firm, the temperate will,
Endurance, foresight, strength, and skill;
A perfect woman, nobly planned,
To warn, to comfort, and command.”
— William Wordsworth
These days at the world championships there is almost always a choice of events. Right now in Philadelphia the major events are open teams and women’s teams. But last year there was an open team game as well as separate events for women, a senior event and a transnational teams.
Here are Michael and Debbie Rosenberg at work in the last-mentioned event. Michael’s double of four diamonds was intended as optional, with extra values, and Debbie expected to find a hand that was at least moderately suitable for spades. The opponents can hold their loss to one trick in four diamonds, so it seems right to attempt the spade game, despite the work required to succeed in that contract.
The defenders led two top diamonds and East signaled for a heart. West obediently shifted to the heart five, suggesting three. Debbie needed the spades to be 3-2, and because West had 10 red cards, she placed him with short clubs.
Having drawn this conclusion, Rosenberg now found the fine move of advancing the club jack! Had this held the trick, she would have drawn two trumps with the ace and king, unblocked clubs, and pitched her heart loser on the diamond queen. Whether East ruffed or not, declarer would be able to ruff one heart and throw the other on the club ace.
In fact, East covered the club jack, so declarer took the trump ace and queen, set up the clubs via the ruffing finesse, and made no fewer than 11 tricks.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
Q 8 5 4 2 |
| ♥ |
10 6 2 |
| ♦ |
Q 10 3 |
| ♣ |
K 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
1♥ |
Pass |
1 NT |
| Pass |
2♦ |
Dbl. |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
ANSWER: Any delayed double of a suit in this way is takeout if facing a passed partner. Here, North rates to have awkward length in hearts and short diamonds, together with about an opening bid. He was unable to double initially because of his short diamonds. This being the case, you have a simple call of two spades. Your problem may come on the next round if the opponents compete to three diamonds.
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].
October 22nd, 2010 ~ admin ~ 3 Comments
| Dealer: East
Vul: E/W |
North
♠ A K 3
♥ K Q 8 6 5
♦ 7
♣ J 8 4 3 |
|
| West
♠ 2
♥ A J 4 3
♦ J 10 8 6 2
♣ K 10 5 |
|
East
♠ Q J 9 8 6 4
♥ 9 7 2
♦ Q 9 5
♣ 6 |
| |
South
♠ 10 7 5
♥ 10
♦ A K 4 3
♣ A Q 9 7 2 |
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
|
Pass |
| 1♦ |
Pass |
1♥ |
Pass |
| 2♣ |
Pass |
2♠ |
Pass |
| 2 NT |
Pass |
3 NT |
All Pass |
Opening Lead: ♦ J
“How comes it to pass, then, that we appear such cowards in reasoning, and are so afraid to stand the test of ridicule?”
— Earl of Shaftesbury
All this week’s deals come from last year’s world championships in Brazil. Today’s deal is from a Seniors’ match between USA and Poland and features Poland missing an opportunity.
Where Poland sat North-South, the contract of three no-trump was played by North (Jacek Romanski). After Mark Lair (East) led a top spade, the Polish declarer was not under pressure. Since East had not bid spades at either of his first two turns, North was confident that West held the heart ace and club king. So declarer won the first trick in his hand, led a club to dummy’s ace, and played the heart 10 to his king. Declarer continued with the club jack and another club, establishing nine tricks: two spades, one heart, two diamonds and four clubs.
Against Mike Passell, West found the apparently killing lead of a diamond. Declarer took the trick with the king and led his singleton heart. When West ducked, declarer won with dummy’s king, then played a club to his queen. West took the trick and led another diamond, but Passell had the same nine tricks as Romanski.
Did you notice West’s error? He needed to play diamonds three times: twice to knock out declarer’s ace-king and once to cash his established winners. And he had three chances: the lead at trick one and when in with his two entries — the heart ace and club king. At trick two, he should have hopped up with his heart ace to lead another diamond. This would have defeated the contract.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
A K 3 |
| ♥ |
K Q 8 6 5 |
| ♦ |
7 |
| ♣ |
J 8 4 3 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
1♣ |
Pass |
| 1♥ |
2♠ |
Pass |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
ANSWER: In this seat, double would simply be for takeout. It’s the most flexible action since you will elicit three-card support from your partner, or find out more about your partner’s minor-suit pattern. It seems premature for you to commit the hand either to clubs or to no-trump.
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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