February 20th, 2010 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, February 6, 2010 
| Dealer: East
Vul: E/W |
North |
|
| ♠ |
K Q 4 |
| ♥ |
K Q 9 |
| ♦ |
10 9 6 4 |
| ♣ |
10 4 2 |
| West |
 |
East |
| ♠ |
8 7 |
♠ |
J 10 9 6 2 |
| ♥ |
J 4 3 2 |
♥ |
— |
| ♦ |
J 7 3 2 |
♦ |
A Q 8 |
| ♣ |
J 7 6 |
♣ |
A K Q 9 5 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
A 5 3 |
| ♥ |
A 10 8 7 6 5 |
| ♦ |
K 5 |
| ♣ |
8 3 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
|
1♣ |
| 1♥ |
Pass |
2♣ |
2♠ |
| 4♥ |
Pass |
Pass |
Dbl. |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♣6
“Things that would have made the frame of a less clever man seemed tricks in his hands. It is a mistake to do things too easily.”
— H.G. Wells
When West led the club six against four hearts doubled, East played three rounds of clubs.
South ruffed the third club low and now felt he was in pretty good shape. A trump lead to dummy’s king revealed the 4-0 break, but it did not seem to be an insuperable problem. After he returned to hand with a top spade and finessed in trumps, it was only then that he realized what would happen if he cashed dummy’s remaining high heart and led a diamond from the board. East would take the diamond ace and play a fourth round of clubs, re-promoting the heart jack into the setting trick.
So, without cashing the heart queen, South tried a diamond. East had to duck, and declarer won his king and led another diamond. East took the trick to play yet a third diamond, and now declarer could no longer draw trumps. West ended up ruffing a spade for down one.
If declarer had led a diamond from dummy after getting the bad news in trumps, he creates another entry to his hand while there are still hearts in dummy to prevent an overruff by West, thus circumnavigating the trump promotion. The best East can do is rise with the diamond ace to play a fourth club. Declarer ruffs in hand, takes the trump finesse, unblocks the heart queen, comes back to the diamond king, and draws the last trump.
ANSWER: This double is for takeout. (You can pass only for a penalty double of diamonds.) Your choice is to rebid hearts to show six, or to raise spades, suggesting only three trumps or you would have supported already. Indeed, raising spades at your last turn was a possibility. Given your weak hearts, it looks better to support spades now; you may be able to emphasize the hearts later.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
A 5 3 |
| ♥ |
A 10 8 7 6 5 |
| ♦ |
K 5 |
| ♣ |
8 3 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1♥ |
Pass |
1♠ |
2♦ |
| Pass |
Pass |
Dbl. |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
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 2009. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].
February 19th, 2010 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Friday, February 5, 2010
| Dealer: West
Vul: All |
North |
|
| ♠ |
K 9 2 |
| ♥ |
A 9 2 |
| ♦ |
10 |
| ♣ |
A K J 9 4 2 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
Q 10 8 5 |
♠ |
A 7 6 3 |
| ♥ |
10 6 |
♥ |
Q J 5 4 3 |
| ♦ |
A J 8 5 4 3 |
♦ |
2 |
| ♣ |
8 |
♣ |
Q 6 3 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
J 4 |
| ♥ |
K 8 7 |
| ♦ |
K Q 9 7 6 |
| ♣ |
10 7 5 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
Pass |
1♣ |
Pass |
| 1♦ |
Pass |
3♣ |
Pass |
| 3 NT |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♦5
“Some people are so fond of ill luck that they run halfway to meet it.”
— Douglas Jerrold
Today’s deal shows Geir Helgemo declaring a delicate three no-trump in a teams contest. The diamond five was led, and dummy’s diamond 10 took the first trick. Try to play it yourself before looking at the East-West cards.
It is important to remember that at teams or at rubber bridge, making the contract is paramount. At pairs, one should maybe consider trying for overtricks — but not today.
The point is that if clubs break in unfriendly fashion, the contract might be at risk. Imagine that after dummy’s diamond 10 holds, you cash the two top clubs. You will be in trouble if the queen does not fall, since although a third round of clubs sets up the suit, the opponents may find the killing switch to a heart. Declarer has only eight tricks, and communication between the North and South hands is terrible. Declarer will need to guess the position very well to come home now. But can you see a way to bring home nine tricks without guessing, or relying on good luck?
At the table the game contract was wrapped up in no time at all. At trick two Helgemo simply called for the club jack from dummy! Now the defenders could do whatever they wanted, but they could not find any way to give declarer a problem. He had created entries back to his own hand to drive out the diamond ace and collect another diamond trick, his ninth.
ANSWER: Your partner has invited game, and you have more than enough to accept, but it is not clear which game is best. (I’d be a little worried about a spade lead against no-trump). Cue-bid three clubs and settle for the heart game unless partner bids three no-trump or three spades to suggest values there.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
J 4 |
| ♥ |
K 8 7 |
| ♦ |
K Q 9 7 6 |
| ♣ |
10 7 5 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
1♣ |
1♥ |
Pass |
| 2♥ |
Pass |
2 NT |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
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 2009. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].
February 18th, 2010 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, February 4, 2010
| Dealer: South
Vul: None |
North |
|
| ♠ |
7 4 3 2 |
| ♥ |
J |
| ♦ |
A K J 4 2 |
| ♣ |
6 4 2 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
A Q 9 8 |
♠ |
J 6 5 |
| ♥ |
Q 6 2 |
♥ |
10 9 8 4 3 |
| ♦ |
9 7 6 |
♦ |
8 3 |
| ♣ |
9 8 3 |
♣ |
K Q 7 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
K 10 |
| ♥ |
A K 7 5 |
| ♦ |
Q 10 5 |
| ♣ |
A J 10 5 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1 NT |
Pass |
2♣ |
Pass |
| 2♥ |
Pass |
3 NT |
All Pass |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♣9
“Alas! Our pleasant moments fly
On rapid wings away,
While those recorded with a sigh,
Mock us by long delay.”
— Edward Coate Pinkney
Congratulations to the current world champion Nickell team. In their period of dominance in bridge at the start of the last decade, Meckstroth-Rodwell and Hamman-Soloway may have grabbed the headlines, but Nick Nickell, the captain, and Dick Freeman played their part too.
The late Dick Freeman had been a quiz kid on the radio and was a former tournament director known to be the fastest scorer in the world! Here he is, producing a nice line for his three-no-trump contract.
How likely is it that a competent defense will beat three no-trump by South, if they find the passive club lead? The point is that so long as East wins the second club and shifts to a spade, the defenders should find a way to cash their four spade tricks. Declarer will put up the king on the first round, and then West can underlead his queen, or East can unblock his jack under the queen.
It did not happen like that at the table. After a strong no-trump and a Stayman sequence, West led the club nine, which was either top of a sequence denying a higher honor, or from a 10-nine holding with a higher honor. East put up the club queen, and Freeman ducked impassively! He knew that the lead was top of nothing, but East did not. That player thought the layout was consistent with West’s holding A-10-9, so he continued with the king, and Freeman now had 11 tricks rather than eight.
ANSWER: Your hand seems to me too good to pass three no-trump despite the lack of an obvious fit. A simple raise to four no-trump should be quantitative (bid on if you have maximum, partner) since no suit has been set as trumps. The general rule is that if the last call was in no-trump, a raise to four no-trump is invitational, not Blackwood.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
7 4 3 2 |
| ♥ |
J |
| ♦ |
A K J 4 2 |
| ♣ |
6 4 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
2♣ |
2♥ |
| 3♦ |
Pass |
3 NT |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
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 2009. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].
February 17th, 2010 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, February 3, 2010
| Dealer: South
Vul: E/W |
North |
|
| ♠ |
10 6 2 |
| ♥ |
Q 9 5 4 |
| ♦ |
A K 9 3 |
| ♣ |
8 5 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
8 |
♠ |
A J 3 |
| ♥ |
K 10 7 2 |
♥ |
A J 8 6 |
| ♦ |
Q 10 8 5 4 |
♦ |
J |
| ♣ |
10 9 2 |
♣ |
Q J 7 4 3 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
K Q 9 7 5 4 |
| ♥ |
3 |
| ♦ |
7 6 2 |
| ♣ |
A K 6 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1♠ |
Pass |
2♠ |
Pass |
| 3♣* |
Pass |
3♦ |
Pass |
| 4♠ |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♣10
“I only took the regular course … the different branches of Arithmetic – Ambition, Distraction, Uglification and Derision.”
— Lewis Carroll
Today’s deal, from a tournament in Australia, showed that the demise of a contract is frequently due to declarer’s taking his eye off the ball when things look too easy. That is precisely the moment to concentrate, trying to work out what might go wrong.
First let’s look at what happened to South in four spades. The opening lead of the club 10 went to the ace. Declarer could see that unless he lost two spade tricks, he would be home. He led a diamond to dummy’s ace and a spade back to his king. He then cashed his second top club and ruffed a club. Now, when he led a second trump from dummy, East rose with the ace and thoughtfully underled his heart ace to put his partner in with the king. West returned the diamond queen, and East ruffed away dummy’s diamond king and exited with a club, forcing declarer to ruff in hand. As there was still another diamond to lose, declarer finished down one.
While a low diamond lead would have defeated the game, declarer should have considered the risk of the defenders getting a ruff, even on a club lead. To prevent this, the winning line is to start cutting the defenders’ communications by leading a low heart at trick two. Declarer wins the club return, crosses to the diamond ace, and plays a trump as before, then takes the club ruff for the second trump play, and East is helpless.
ANSWER: It cannot be right to bid three spades — if your partner had extra shape, he would have acted himself already. So the choice is to pass or double; and since a double here simply shows a good hand with decent defense, it looks reasonable to me — so long as you can be sure partner is on the same wavelength. If not, pass out three clubs and avoid disaster.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
10 6 2 |
| ♥ |
Q 9 5 4 |
| ♦ |
A K 9 3 |
| ♣ |
8 5 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
1♠ |
Pass |
| 2♠ |
3♣ |
Pass |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
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 2009. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].
February 16th, 2010 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, February 2, 2010
| Dealer: North
Vul: E/W |
North |
|
| ♠ |
K 6 3 2 |
| ♥ |
J 8 3 |
| ♦ |
9 7 |
| ♣ |
Q 9 6 4 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
5 |
♠ |
Q 9 8 7 |
| ♥ |
A K 10 4 2 |
♥ |
Q 7 6 5 |
| ♦ |
10 8 2 |
♦ |
Q 6 5 |
| ♣ |
A K 8 3 |
♣ |
7 5 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
A J 10 4 |
| ♥ |
9 |
| ♦ |
A K J 4 3 |
| ♣ |
J 10 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
Pass |
Pass |
| 1♦ |
1♥ |
Dbl. |
2♥ |
| 3♠ |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♣K
“It is not worthwhile to go round the world to count the cats in Zanzibar.”
— Henry David Thoreau
No great mathematical aptitude is needed to play bridge well. Sometimes, if you are totaling up points, you need to be able to count to 40, but more often than not, being able to add up to 13 is high enough.
Today’s play in three spades is all about locating the trump queen. North’s double was negative, promising four spades and a few values. South showed good appreciation of his assets when he jumped to three spades, but North had nothing to spare for his previous bidding, so passed. Note that the jump to three spades is invitational — it is not a jump in a new suit, which would be forcing, because North’s negative double implies spade length so South is supporting North..
At the table the defenders started by taking the top clubs and getting their ruff. Now, after East played back a heart, West tried to cash a second heart, which was ruffed by declarer. The fate of the contract boils down to finding the trump queen. West is known to be shorter in clubs than his partner, but does that mean declarer should finesse in spades, or play for an original 3-2 break?
Curiously, South did not have to guess. Before touching trumps, declarer cashed the ace and king of diamonds and ruffed a diamond in the dummy. When West followed three times, his distribution was known to have been 1-5-3-4. Declarer now cashed the spade king before taking the spade finesse, certain that it would work.
ANSWER: You have a nice hand, though not a spectacular one, enough to feel like competing again. Because your partner has taken no positive action, a double from you here would be takeout, suggesting some spade length and extra values. You cannot be sure that you have a fit, but if you do want to bid again, this is the safest and most descriptive way to proceed.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
A J 10 4 |
| ♥ |
9 |
| ♦ |
A K J 4 3 |
| ♣ |
J 10 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
Pass |
Pass |
1♣ |
| 1♦ |
1♥ |
Pass |
2♣ |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
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 2009. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].
February 15th, 2010 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Monday, February 1, 2010
| Dealer: South
Vul: None |
North |
|
| ♠ |
9 2 |
| ♥ |
8 4 2 |
| ♦ |
K J 9 5 4 |
| ♣ |
6 5 2 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
K 10 8 7 4 |
♠ |
J 5 3 |
| ♥ |
Q 9 5 |
♥ |
J 10 7 3 |
| ♦ |
A 8 6 |
♦ |
7 2 |
| ♣ |
8 4 |
♣ |
K 10 9 3 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
A Q 6 |
| ♥ |
A K 6 |
| ♦ |
Q 10 3 |
| ♣ |
A Q J 7 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 2 NT |
Pass |
3 NT |
All Pass |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♠7
“Unfold thy face, unmaske thy ray,
Shine forth, bright Sunne, double the day.”
— Christopher Harvey
When you have the opportunity to take two chances for your contract, you should go after them both, rather than relying on just one of them.
A simple line to follow in your contract of three no-trump is to win the spade lead and advance the diamond queen, which would be ducked all around. Then you would try a diamond to your 10, and again you would have no luck. The defenders would hold up the diamond ace, and now, although you can take one club finesse, you would not be able to find a way home to nine tricks.
In essence, your line relied on the diamond ace being doubleton. But for a far better approach, decide how to cope with the possibility that the defenders may be able to hold up the diamond ace for two rounds. In that case you need to get cracking on the clubs to generate extra tricks from that suit — and that requires you to use your entries to dummy judiciously.
So you win the opening spade lead and play a small diamond from your hand to dummy’s nine at trick two. When this holds, you should lead a club to your queen and return the diamond 10 to dummy’s jack. If the diamond ace pops up, you are home; if the defenders can duck the second diamond, then you repeat the club finesse. You have taken five tricks in the minors and have four winners in the majors: contract made.
ANSWER: With what appears to be a natural trump trick and the chance to force declarer, you should lead a heart rather than a diamond. Your idea will be to force declarer by repeated heart leads. There is an argument for leading the heart jack, but since declarer may well have a doubleton or singleton heart honor, the lead of a low heart looks better.
LEAD WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
Q 8 4 2 |
| ♥ |
J 5 2 |
| ♦ |
6 |
| ♣ |
A 8 4 3 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
Pass |
1♥ |
1♠ |
| 2♥ |
2♠ |
All Pass |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
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 2009. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].
February 14th, 2010 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, January 31, 2010
| Dear Mr. Wolff:
When your partner opens a weak-two in diamonds and you hold ♠ J-3, ♥ K-Q-10-6-4, ♦ A-Q-7, ♣ 10-3-2, what should you do? Do you pass, raise diamonds (and if so, how high?) or introduce the hearts?
— Pointed Question, Albuquerque, N.M.
ANSWER: I would bid two hearts, intending it as natural and forcing, not because I thought we could make four hearts. but because with my big diamond fit I’d want to try to keep the opponents quiet. Suggesting I have a good hand with hearts might just do that. I plan to give preference to diamonds at my next turn, unless partner raises hearts, and that would be nonforcing.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
I have a lot of problems when discarding in a suit contract. Does pitching an encouraging high card send a stronger message than throwing a discouraging low card in another suit? And what does it mean when you start with the discard of a neutral suit (one you cannot want to encourage in)?
— Discard Dilemmas, Corpus Christi, Texas
ANSWER: Pitching a neutral suit first always dilutes the message that follows. (If you felt strongly about one suit or another, you’d begin by sending that message.) But if you want to encourage a suit, it is sometimes clearer and safer to discourage the other suit. That way, you retain all your winners in the key suit.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
I assume that you would respond one heart to one diamond when you hold ♠ A-9-6-4, ♥ K-9-6-4, ♦ 2, ♣ 10-8-6-4. When partner rebids two clubs, should you pass or raise to three clubs? If you would pass, how much more might you need to bid three clubs?
— Gear Changer, Springfield, Mass.
|
|
ANSWER: I would pass, expecting there was a fair chance that my heart king would not be pulling much weight (facing shortage). But change the heart king to the ace and I’d dredge up a raise to three clubs. I might even bid on at teams if I had as little additional as the jack in one of my long suits.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
You recently answered a letter about Gerber, restricting its use to no-trump auctions. Why not use it after a one-heart opening is raised to three, for example?
— All-Purpose Bid, Miami, Fla.
ANSWER: Four no-trump asks for aces, but if the call has another meaning, we need to ask for aces a different way. Sometimes the four-no-trump call is quantitative: bid on with a maximum or pass with a minimum. This happens only when the last bid was in no-trump. Accordingly, four no-trump is always available as Blackwood UNLESS the last call was one or two no-trump, when it is quantitative. Hence, Gerber is needed only in those auctions.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
Say you elected to open one no-trump with ♠ A-J-7-4-3, ♥ 9-2, ♦ A-Q-7, ♣ A-Q-3. After two hearts on your left, I assume you balance with two spades, and now partner raises to three spades. What next?
— Lost in Space, Phoenix, Ariz.
ANSWER: This hand is deeply flawed for a one-no-trump opening. It is too strong, with both a five-card major and a weak doubleton. I’d open one spade and raise one no-trump to two no-trump, showing 18-19 or so. Having balanced with two spades (suggesting some of these extras), I guess I would bid game now. I’d hope to find nothing in hearts opposite and maybe a minor I could establish. |
If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, e-mail him at [email protected]. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2009.
February 13th, 2010 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, January 30, 2010
| Dealer: South
Vul: All |
North |
|
| ♠ |
Q 6 2 |
| ♥ |
Q 6 5 4 |
| ♦ |
Q 8 |
| ♣ |
K J 10 2 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
K 8 |
♠ |
J 10 7 5 |
| ♥ |
J 10 7 3 |
♥ |
K 2 |
| ♦ |
A J 10 6 4 |
♦ |
9 5 |
| ♣ |
7 3 |
♣ |
Q 8 6 5 4 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
A 9 4 3 |
| ♥ |
A 9 8 |
| ♦ |
K 7 3 2 |
| ♣ |
A 9 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1 NT |
Pass |
2♣ |
Pass |
| 2♠ |
Pass |
3 NT |
All Pass |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♦6
“‘This job’s the best I’ve done.’ He bent his head
Over the golden vessel that he’d wrought.”
— Siegfried Sassoon
At the NEC Cup last year, where duplicated boards were in use, virtually every South reached three no-trump on today’s deal.
Typically, declarer failed after a diamond lead. For example, in the match between an Israeli and Japanese team, the Israeli declarer won the diamond lead in dummy and guessed to lead a heart to the ace and a heart back, covering West’s jack. That was a swift two down. In the other room, the Japanese declarer played the spade ace and a second spade, but could not succeed either. He eventually had to play West for the club queen, and when that finesse failed, he also went two down.
However, for the Chinese Open team, Liu Jing took a different approach. He won the lead of the diamond six with dummy’s queen and led a club to his nine. Now a low spade from his hand saw West win and exit with a spade.
Declarer’s next move was a low diamond from his hand to cut communications; West won and led the heart jack now. Liu won in hand, unblocked the club ace, crossed to the spade queen, and exited dummy with a low heart. East, now on lead with the heart king, could cash a spade, but then had to lead clubs into dummy’s tenace. Declarer took four clubs, one diamond, and two tricks in each major to make three no-trump. Not surprisingly, this deal was short-listed for the declarer play of the year.
ANSWER: Your partner’s cue-bid suggests both a good hand and short hearts. In context you have very little in hearts (which must be good for your side) and unbelievably good clubs, so jump to four clubs to emphasize your support and help your partner envision your suitability for higher things.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
Q 6 2 |
| ♥ |
Q 6 5 4 |
| ♦ |
Q 8 |
| ♣ |
K J 10 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
1♣ |
1♥ |
| 1 NT |
Pass |
2♥ |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
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 2009. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].
February 12th, 2010 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Friday, January 29, 2010
| Dealer: South
Vul: N/S |
North |
|
| ♠ |
A K J 2 |
| ♥ |
8 6 |
| ♦ |
10 7 6 3 |
| ♣ |
A J 9 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
10 9 7 5 |
♠ |
Q 4 |
| ♥ |
A 9 7 5 3 |
♥ |
10 4 2 |
| ♦ |
9 5 |
♦ |
A J 8 4 |
| ♣ |
K Q |
♣ |
10 8 7 2 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
8 6 3 |
| ♥ |
K Q J |
| ♦ |
K Q 2 |
| ♣ |
6 5 4 3 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| Pass |
Pass |
1♦ |
Pass |
| 2 NT |
Pass |
3 NT |
All Pass |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♥5
“Even the bravest that are slain
Shall not dissemble their surprise
On waking to find valor reign,
Even as on earth, in paradise.”
— Robert Frost
In today’s deal from the 2010 NEC Cup, getting to three no-trump is easy; making it is more challenging.
For example, Frankie Frontaura was able to bid diamonds naturally and invite in no-trump as a passed hand. Diego Brenner liked his 13-count enough to accept. On a heart lead Frontaura won, took the spade finesse at once, but a heart back doomed him. The defenders had three hearts and three side-suit winners before declarer could collect more than seven tricks.
By contrast, when Fu Zhong played three no-trump, he won the heart lead (taking East’s heart 10 with his queen), then played a spade to dummy’s king, a diamond to his king, and a club up, ducking West’s club queen. West hoped to find partner with the heart jack, so led a second diamond. East won and returned a heart, ducked by West. At this point, declarer cashed the club and diamond winners and paused for a reassessment. West, a passed hand, was known to have a 4-5-2-2 pattern and had shown up with nine points already. So Fu led a spade to dummy’s ace — contract made — the only declarer to record 600.
At a third table, the play to the first two tricks was the same in two no-trump. But Huub Bertens as East did not duck his diamond ace at trick three, but hopped up with it to play a second heart, ducked. Now, when declarer took the spade finesse, he had only seven tricks.
ANSWER: Are you a firm believer in the idea that an overcall MUST be based on a five-card suit or longer? I’d agree if we are looking at two-level overcalls, where the norm is a six-card suit. But at the one-level, you can overcall on a good four-card suit in a decent hand if you are flawed for other action. I do know this: anyone who makes a takeout double with this hand deserves to play in a 4-2 heart fit, doubled!
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
A K J 2 |
| ♥ |
8 6 |
| ♦ |
10 7 6 3 |
| ♣ |
A J 9 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
Pass |
1♦ |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
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 2009. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].
February 11th, 2010 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, January 28, 2010
| Dealer: West
Vul: N/S |
North |
|
| ♠ |
J 10 4 2 |
| ♥ |
9 8 6 |
| ♦ |
K J 3 |
| ♣ |
J 3 2 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
6 |
♠ |
A 7 5 3 |
| ♥ |
A J 7 4 2 |
♥ |
10 3 |
| ♦ |
Q 8 5 4 |
♦ |
10 9 6 2 |
| ♣ |
Q 10 7 |
♣ |
9 5 4 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
K Q 9 8 |
| ♥ |
K Q 5 |
| ♦ |
A 7 |
| ♣ |
A K 8 6 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
| 2 NT |
Pass |
3♣ |
Pass |
| 3♠ |
Pass |
4♠ |
All Pass |
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♦4
“‘I have a whole bag of tricks,’ he said, ‘which contains a hundred ways of escaping my enemies.’”
— Aesop
In today’s deal from the 2009 NEC Cup there was fine declarer play in both four spades and in three no-trump.
Against four spades West’s diamond lead gave nothing away. Declarer, Tadashi Teramoto, finessed, played two rounds of trump (ducked by East), and led an impassive low club from his hand. Fooled by South’s bland countenance, West ducked, and now declarer had his contract with an overtrick. In fact, there was no defense even if West had taken the club queen. Declarer can arrange a heart ruff in hand, and the trump spots are just too good.
In the other room in three no-trump, South ran into the one lie of the major suits that would spell defeat at once on a heart lead if he elected to win the trick. Maybe he should have ducked?
That was what happened when Babu Koneru led a heart and Li Jie, South for the Chinese team, did indeed duck. The defenders cleared hearts (West deceptively signaling for spades), but declarer had no option but to knock out the spade ace. Back came a spade from East, so declarer ran the spade suit, on which Koneru deceptively discarded two diamonds, trying to suggest he did not have the diamond queen. Despite that, declarer still went ahead and took the diamond finesse for his contract, rather than trying to endplay East with the club queen to lead into the diamond tenace. Well done!
ANSWER: If the opponents had stayed silent, you would have responded one spade, of course. When the opponents bid, there is no real need to stretch to introduce a weak four-carder on very minimum values. Don’t tell a soul, but if I did bid, I’d be inclined to raise to two diamonds!
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
J 10 4 2 |
| ♥ |
9 8 6 |
| ♦ |
K J 3 |
| ♣ |
J 3 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
1♦ |
Dbl. |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
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 2009. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].
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