Aces on Bridge — Daily Columns

The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, January 30, 2010

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].

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The Aces on Bridge: Friday, January 29, 2010

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].

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The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, January 28, 2010

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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The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, January 27, 2010

February 10th, 2010  ~  admin  ~  Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 
Dealer: North

Vul: All

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

 

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

Opening Lead:♣3

“A walled hole where fruitless vines embrace

Their parent skeletons that yet survive

In evil thorns.”

— Edwin Arlington Robinson

In today’s deal from the NEC Cup, some pairs played four hearts, and some opted for three no-trump. The no-trump game was an unhappy spot as the cards lay. On a diamond lead the normal play in hearts of leading low to the ace left South down three when the defenders could establish both their spades and diamonds.

 

In four hearts Michael Barel won the club lead in hand and led a diamond to the 10 and East’s jack. A heart return went to dummy’s ace, and Barel crossed to hand in clubs and played two rounds of diamonds, ruffing, then ruffed a club and played two rounds of trumps to West. That player fell from grace by taking his last trump and exiting in clubs, squeezing his partner in spades and diamonds. A spade exit by West would have broken up the position for the squeeze.

 

Could declarer have done better? Yes. Tom Hanlon, also in four hearts, won the club lead in hand and he too led a diamond to the 10 and jack. Back came the heart nine, but Hanlon won the heart ace, played the spade ace, ruffed a spade, then unblocked the top clubs. Now he played the diamond ace, ruffed a diamond, then ruffed a club. He had now reduced his hand to a losing diamond and the heart K-J-8. When he exited with his losing diamond, he had assured himself of two of the last three trump tricks. Contract made.

ANSWER: Your partner’s hand is limited by his failure to make a two-club overcall initially. Does that mean you should pass now? Passing is certainly reasonable, but I might raise to three clubs, not so much because I think a club game is likely, but because we might make four spades if partner can give delayed support now.

BID WITH THE ACES

South Holds:

♠ A 10 9 8 7 6
♥ A 6
♦ Q 10
♣ J 7 6

 

South West North East
  1♥ Pass Pass
1♠ 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].

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The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, January 26, 2010

February 9th, 2010  ~  admin  ~  Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, January 26, 2010 
Dealer: North

Vul: E/W

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

 

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

Opening Lead:♦2

“What Skipper would incur the risk,

What Buccaneer would ride

Without a surety from the wind

Or schedule of the tide?”

— Emily Dickinson

In today’s deal from the 2009 NEC, do you overcall as East ? I’m assuming that no one would risk a weak-jump overcall here (all right, no one we care to know), but how about a two-diamond bid? I’m strongly opposed to the idea at unfavorable vulnerability — and this deal suggests why.

 

If you play four spades as South on a low diamond lead, you will surely duck if your auction was unopposed, but if given information in the auction, might you find your way home?

 

Duplicated deals were in use, so the journalists could tell that four spades by North made four times and by South actually made eight times, and one of those times was when Liu Jing of China Evertrust was declarer.

 

He had received a double of an artificial diamond bid by Bakkeren, so he hopped up with dummy’s diamond ace at trick one, took his spade ace, then played three rounds of hearts, ruffing in hand, and had come to the critical moment of the deal. If East began with eight red cards and West five, the odds heavily favor the finesse of the spade nine to generate the extra entry to ruff out the hearts and return to the spade king in dummy. However, if East had failed to overcall, the more balanced hand-type would be more likely. The mathematical calculations are close, but Liu guessed right to finesse, thereby earning an editorial gold star from the tournament’s Daily Bulletin.

ANSWER: The response of two no-trump to a weak-two can be used to ask for a feature (best if you play sound weak-twos) or Ogust-style to ask for range and suit-quality. Because a feature is normally an ace or king, not shortage, this hand, though maximum, has no such feature. I’d bid three no-trump to suggest a good suit with no feature, but if you play this as a solid suit, then three clubs may be best.

BID WITH THE ACES

South Holds:

♠ A Q J 8 4 2
♥ 8 4
♦ J 7 3
♣ Q 9

 

South West North East
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].

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The Aces on Bridge: Monday, January 25, 2010

February 8th, 2010  ~  admin  ~  Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Monday, January 25, 2010 
Dealer: South

Vul: All

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

 

South West North East
1 NT All Pass    
       
       
       

Opening Lead:♦10

“Here lies a clerk who half his life had spent

Toiling at ledgers in a city grey,

Thinking that so his days would drift away.”

— Herbert Asquith

Looking at today’s deal from the 2009 NEC Cup, the source for all this week’s deals, you might think that this is another dull partscore.

 

You play one no-trump, the defenders leading two rounds of diamonds, and your sole aim is to get two club tricks before the opponents have seven winners. If spades are 3-3 or the club finesse wins, you are home. What if neither eventuality comes in? How should you play clubs to develop an extra trick before you lose two?

 

While watching this deal on my computer, I heard Jack Zhao opine that it is right to run the club seven at trick three. This loses when East has the doubleton club jack but gains when he has club jack-nine with at least one more additional card. The important thing is that it works here!

 

The most curious thing of all about the deal is that duplicated hands were in play throughout the event but the only declarers who actually guessed clubs to make their contract were Fu Zhong (Jack’s regular partner) and Ricco van Prooijen of the Netherlands, an ex-teammate of Zhao, who spends a lot of time in the Netherlands. Interestingly, Fu started his attack on the club suit by leading the 10 — equivalent to the eight but with the psychological edge that his play gains when second hand forgets to cover from an original holding of jack-third or jack-fourth, as well he might!

ANSWER: Your partner’s double does not demand a club lead here, but it strongly suggests he has clubs well enough under control that he believes declarer is not odds-on to make his game. I would not lead my singleton club — I have enough time to shift to the suit later on. I would lead a spade, knowing my partner must have at least a couple of cards in that suit.

LEAD WITH THE ACES

South Holds:

♠ Q 10 6 3
♥ J 8 3 2
♦ K 9 4 3
♣ 7

 

South West North East
  1♣ Pass 1♥
Pass 2♣ Pass 2 NT
Pass 3 NT Dbl. 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].

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The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, January 24, 2010

February 7th, 2010  ~  admin  ~  Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, January 24, 2010 
Dear Mr. Wolff:

I read your “Aces on Bridge” every day in the Vancouver Sun. Please tell me when it is proper to declare honors.

—  Honor-Bound, Vancouver, British Columbia

ANSWER: Honors can be declared after dummy comes down, but it may not be in your interest to do so. So wait until you’ve played them all out, or claim them at the end of the deal. You have until the end of the rubber to claim them if you have forgotten at the proper moment.

Dear Mr. Wolff:

In fourth seat at duplicate I held the hand of a lifetime: ♠ —, ♥ A, ♦ A-K-Q-J-7-3-2, ♣ A-K-J-10-3-. Naturally the opponents got in my face, but only to the extent of a two-spade opening on my right, passed around to me. Any thoughts as to the best way forward?

—  Ripley’s Revenge, Elmira, N.Y.

ANSWER: After the two-spade call came around to me, I’d bid five no-trump (pick a minor at the six-level, partner) and raise the response to seven. With hearts and a minor I’d cue-bid five spades instead, and work it out from there. I could not stand to stay out of a grand slam with a hand that good.

Dear Mr. Wolff:

What behavior is permitted at the table in terms of mannerisms or tempo if the object is solely to confuse or deceive the opponents?

—  Truthful James, Pleasantville, N.Y.

   ANSWER: The short answer is that nothing is permitted if the sole purpose is to deceive. You can of course deceive the opponents by the card you play but not the manner in which you play it. You can try to equalize the tempo — do not rush to make your easy plays, thus giving away the show. But you may not hesitate without a reason.

 

Dear Mr. Wolff:

Are there any partnerships left who do not defend against pre-empts by doubling for takeout?

—  Old-Timer, Bristol, Va.

 

ANSWER: Again, the short answer to that question is no. Almost everyone plays takeout doubles to one-suited pre-empts. There are variations possible against two-suited pre-emptive openings, but the simplest and most effective way into most if not all auctions is to double for takeout. After all, if they are long in one suit, you will most commonly be short in that suit, not long.

 

Dear Mr. Wolff:

I was in second seat with ♠ A-8, ♥ K-Q-9, ♦ J-7-3-2, ♣ Q-10-3-2 and decided not to open because most of my points were in my short suits. My LHO opened one heart and we ended up defending one no-trump, conceding 120. Everyone else opened my hand and went down in one no-trump our way, sometimes one trick, sometimes more. Was it acceptable for me to pass here?

—  Slow Coach, Doylestown, Pa.

 

ANSWER: Your judgment was quite sound although I might not have been as discreet as you. I’d look at the guarded honors and simply open one of the minors. With 4-3-3-3 pattern or with the spade nine instead of the heart nine, I would pass, disliking the honor locations and the balanced nature of the hand. But you and I might be in a small minority here.

 

If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, e-mail him at [email protected]. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2009.

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The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, January 23, 2010

February 6th, 2010  ~  admin  ~  Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, January 23, 2010 
Dealer: West

Vul: N/S

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

 

South West North East
  1♠ Dbl. 2♠
2 NT* Pass 3 NT All Pass
       
*Minors      

Opening Lead:♠10

“Miss not the occasion: by the forelock take

That subtile Power, the never-halting Time.”

— William Wordsworth

In today’s exhibit from the 2010 NEC Cup, Tom Hanlon reached a delicate contract, and when he was given a small chance, grabbed it with both hands.

 

Against three no-trump you could make a case for leading the spade queen, but declarer can still succeed at double dummy. The only lead to set the game is a low heart from West. On West’s normal lead of the spade 10, Hanlon scored his spade jack and planned to take an immediate diamond finesse. The sight of the diamond king was both good and bad news; now he needed to find three more tricks from the hearts and clubs. The natural thing to do was to lead a heart to the king.

 

When West won the ace, that player knew his partner needed to hold very good clubs for the defense to prevail, so he shifted to a club, ducked by Hanlon. (A spade continuation by West would not have worked any better although it might have given declarer some losing options.) East won his club king and now reverted to spades, so Hanlon won in dummy, ducked a heart, and won the spade return.

 

When declarer cashed his red-suit winners, East had to pitch a club on the last heart. Hanlon now threw him in with the losing diamond at trick 12, forcing him to lead a club to declarer’s queen at trick 13 for the ninth trick.

ANSWER: Your partner’s two-spade bid is a game-try, suggesting extras and spade length. A singleton spade is good news, but you do have only three trumps and a minimum, with club cards that rate not to be pulling their weight. I’d sign off in three hearts rather than make the more constructive effort of two no-trump (which I would bid with the diamond queen instead of a small diamond).

BID WITH THE ACES

South Holds:

♠ J
♥ K 7 4
♦ 8 6 5 4
♣ Q J 7 6 5

 

South West North East
  1♣ 1♥ Pass
2♥ 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].

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The Aces on Bridge: Friday, January 22, 2010

February 5th, 2010  ~  admin  ~  Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Friday, January 22, 2010 
Dealer: South

Vul: N/S

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

 

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

Opening Lead:♥3

“Thou art a fool —

Indeed, the greatest of fools thou art,

To be led astray by the trick of a tress

By a smiling face or a ribbon smart.”

— Paul Dunbar

Today’s deal, from the World Teams finals at Maastricht, saw Lorenzo Lauria at the helm in four hearts.

 

On a spade lead you would seem to need trumps to play for no loser to have any real chance. However, the opening lead is the heart three, which goes to East’s jack and your king. A diamond to dummy’s king holds the trick, and when you lead a second heart from dummy, East follows suit with the remaining small spot. What next?

 

Lauria now had to decide whether West had led a small trump from his doubleton queen (where he might have had hopes of scoring that card if he had not led the suit) or whether he had led a singleton trump.

 

Lauria eventually guessed right for three reasons. The first was that East might have followed with the heart queen from a three-card suit at the first trick, thus making the doubleton-holding more likely. The second and more important reason was that if the finesse lost, a spade back would doom him. However, if he misguessed by playing trumps from the top, he could now revert to playing on diamonds. If the diamond 10 fell in three rounds, he would have two discards for dummy’s spades. And the third reason was that to fall into a deeply laid trap of this sort in the heart suit often feels like a huge psychological blow. Better to give up on fractionally the best percentage line to avoid being fooled in this way!

ANSWER: Although your partner does not promise the world’s fair when he comes in over a strong two-club bid, you have enough in diamonds to raise the ante to three diamonds. This is not so much because you hope to buy the hand, but because you want to rob the opponents of a round of bidding and would like to try to get a diamond lead against a final contract declared by West.

BID WITH THE ACES

South Holds:

♠ 9 7 4
♥ 10 8 7 5 4
♦ K J
♣ Q 10 4

 

South West North East
  2♣ 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].

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The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, January 21, 2010

February 4th, 2010  ~  admin  ~  Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, January 21, 2010 
Dealer: North

Vul: E/W

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

 

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

Opening Lead:♠10

“Thou dost leave

The world’s mad turmoil and incessant din,

Where none in others’ honesty believe.”

— Albert Pike

When this deal came up at the Dyspeptics Club, West rejected the idea of leading from his heart queen against four spades, although this lead is scarcely more dangerous than the trump lead he selected.

 

South won in dummy and passed the diamond queen. West took the trick and belatedly shifted to hearts, choosing the three. East won and decided to return the suit. The contract made, and there was much gnashing of teeth. Who was most to blame for the defensive fiasco?

 

Today’s lesson is that it is not sufficient to select the right suit, but you must also select the right card. There is a time and a place to confuse declarer, but more important is to let partner know what is going on.

 

Upon winning the diamond king, West should realize that the only chance to set the contract is if East has the heart ace. To suggest to East that he return a club upon winning the heart ace, West should lead back a high heart, either the queen or the nine. If West leads a low heart, as happened at the table, one can hardly blame East for returning a heart, playing West for precisely king-third of hearts.

 

Curiously, the defense is only a little easier on the initial heart lead when West will lead a low card, of course. Now the club shift still looks right, but one could understand a defender electing to continue the attack on hearts.

ANSWER: Your partner has forced to game and has shown long clubs and four spades. The simple way not to mislead your partner about what you have is to give preference to three clubs. Your trump spots suggest you have the equivalent of three-card support, and since your call is economical, it will give your partner a chance to describe his hand further at a convenient level.

BID WITH THE ACES

South Holds:

♠ K J 8
♥ 8 7 5
♦ Q J 10 9 8
♣ J 9

 

South West North East
    1♣ Pass
1♦ 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].

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