November 23rd, 2009 ~ admin ~ 2 Comments 
| Dealer: North
Vul: None |
North |
|
| ♠ |
A Q 6 |
| ♥ |
7 6 5 |
| ♦ |
K 8 7 3 |
| ♣ |
K Q J |
| West |
 |
East |
| ♠ |
J 9 |
♠ |
K 8 7 4 3 |
| ♥ |
K J 8 |
♥ |
Q 10 4 3 |
| ♦ |
Q 10 6 5 |
♦ |
4 |
| ♣ |
A 10 6 2 |
♣ |
7 4 3 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
10 5 2 |
| ♥ |
A 9 2 |
| ♦ |
A J 9 2 |
| ♣ |
9 8 5 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
1♦ |
Pass |
| 1 NT |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
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|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♣2
“When a scholar goes to seek out a bride, he should take along an ignoramus as an expert.”
— The Talmud
One no-trump has been described as the contract for the connoisseur, and on this deal from the 2008 Lederer Invitation Trophy, Ian Pagan justly won the best-played-hand award for an unusual but well thought-out play.
It looked as if South would probably go down in his contract of one no-trump on a club lead, as the textbook play in diamonds (cashing the king and finessing the jack on the second round) only makes six tricks. (If declarer finesses the jack on the first round, he can recover if he guesses which defender began with four cards.)
However, Pagan looked more deeply into the position on the normal club-two lead, won in dummy. West had led from a broken club suit, and a four-card one at that, on an auction that would typically call for a major-suit lead, or so he surmised. Surely, therefore, West was either 3-3-3-4 with four clubs, or had four diamonds.
Declarer backed his judgment by playing a diamond to the ace and running the diamond jack on the next round, thereby collecting three diamond tricks in due course, and coming to seven tricks in total.
This produced a deserved swing, as North had opened a strong no-trump in the other room. Now South could hardly do less than invite game, and in fact he elected to drive all the way to three no-trump, down three.
ANSWER: Given that everyone will lead a spade (won’t they?), the issue is whether to lead the spade queen or a low one. The spade queen will gain if dummy has a doubleton and declarer three spades to the king with the 10 in one hand or the other. A low spade will work if partner has the doubleton 10 or doubleton king, and also if declarer has four spades facing a doubleton king, so it is the better play. The deal comes from Krzysztof Martens’ “University of Defence: Opening Leads.”
LEAD WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
A Q J 5 2 |
| ♥ |
9 4 |
| ♦ |
9 7 2 |
| ♣ |
10 8 5 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
|
1 NT |
| Pass |
3 NT |
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].
November 22nd, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, November 8, 2009
| Dear Mr. Wolff:
I hear the ACBL is planning to move. Are there any details available?
— GPS Owner, Phoenix, Ariz.
ANSWER: Yes, the ACBL will be moving fairly soon from Memphis to a location about 20 miles south, into Mississippi, where they will have a far larger area with some leasing and tax breaks. The extra space will let them expand their library and Hall of Fame display.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
As dealer I picked up ♠ Q-J-9-7-5-2, ♥ A-K-7, ♦ 3, ♣ Q-8-3 and naturally opened one spade. My partner jumped to four clubs, showing a singleton club, game values and spade support. Do I have enough to cue-bid, and if so, should I cue-bid diamonds or hearts?
— Fractured Logic, Milwaukee, Wis.
ANSWER: Both cue-bids have their problems, since you would normally cue-bid four diamonds (but then you know partner will sign off without a heart control). If you bid four hearts, you are almost denying a diamond control unless you plan to bid again. I’d go for a less subtle approach. Keycard Blackwood asks about the missing aces and trump king. If I find three of those cards opposite, I’ll worry about my slow heart loser when I see the dummy, and meanwhile just bid the slam.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
If I make a natural bid and my partner mistakenly alerts it and explains it as conventional, what should I do, and when?
— Human Error, Bristol, Va.
ANSWER: As a defender you should say or do nothing until the hand is over and then explain the position to declarer. As declarer or dummy, explain before the opening lead what the position is. You should always correct a mistaken explanation by your partner in this way. Incidentally, if you have forgotten your agreements and have misbid, you will sometimes, though rarely, get a good result from doing so — that’s the rub of the green. |
|
Dear Mr. Wolff:
We play penalty doubles if our opponents open a weak no-trump. Up to what high-card maximum should we play this way, and what ranges should we treat as a strong no-trump? And how should we play if either we or the opponents remove the double?
— Ad Infinitum, Casper, Wyo.
ANSWER: A simple and efficient way to play is to treat all no-trumps that go up to 13 points as weak. If you remove your partner’s double of a weak no-trump, it is as if HE had opened one no-trump. Two clubs is Stayman; other calls are transfers. If the opponents remove your partner’s double, again treat it as if they had made that call over his no-trump. So your full methods (perhaps Lebensohl and takeout doubles?) remain in place.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
You hold ♠ Q-2, ♥ A-Q-7-3, ♦ K-J, ♣ A-Q-8-3-2. After a four-spade bid on your right, you double to show a good hand, and partner bids four no-trump. Please explain that call, and tell me what to do next.
— Moving Experience, Corpus Christi, Texas
ANSWER: Partner’s call suggests a two-suiter, and you respond to this by bidding your better minor. Incidentally, it is possible to bid higher if you want to play slam facing a quite limited hand with shape. (Change the spade two into the ace and you might bid six clubs.) Be aware, though, that your partner might have the red suits, planning to correct five clubs to five diamonds to offer you a choice. You would bid five hearts of course, if that happened. |
If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, e-mail him at [email protected]. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2009.
November 21st, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, November 7, 2009
| Dealer: East
Vul: None |
North |
|
| ♠ |
8 5 2 |
| ♥ |
10 6 |
| ♦ |
10 4 |
| ♣ |
10 8 7 6 3 2 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
Q 10 7 6 3 |
♠ |
J 9 4 |
| ♥ |
9 5 3 2 |
♥ |
4 |
| ♦ |
— |
♦ |
Q J 8 7 6 5 3 |
| ♣ |
K Q J 5 |
♣ |
9 4 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
A K |
| ♥ |
A K Q J 8 7 |
| ♦ |
A K 9 2 |
| ♣ |
A |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
|
3♦ |
| Dbl. |
Pass |
4♣ |
Pass |
| 6♥ |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
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|
Opening Lead:♣K
“Hope tells a flattering tale,
Delusive, vain, and hollow.
Ah! Let not hope prevail,
Lest disappointment follow.”
— Miss Wrother
West leads the club king against your heart slam. Can you see any way of making 12 tricks?
Curiously, your best chance is that East has no more than two clubs. After winning the club ace, you should cash the ace of trumps, then lead a low trump to dummy’s 10. Next you ruff a club and play two more rounds of trump.
When you play your last trump, throwing a club from table, East is in trouble. You know he began with seven diamonds, a trump and, hopefully, two clubs. If East reduces to three diamonds, you will play the ace, king and another diamond. East wins the trick and has to return a spade, allowing you to take the last three tricks with the spade ace-king and the diamond nine. Whenever East keeps four diamonds, and so only two spades, you will counter by cashing the spade ace-king, reducing East to his four top diamonds. This allows you to make three of the last four tricks by leading the diamond two to dummy’s 10. When East takes it with the jack or queen, he will be forced to lead a diamond, allowing your nine to take a trick, and you will have the rest.
It was vital to ruff a club; otherwise, East would defeat you by coming down to two spades, three diamonds and a club on the last trump. After winning his diamond, he would be able to play a club to his partner.
ANSWER: You may hate the idea of putting down a void in trumps in dummy, but any further action you take now would likely make matters worse. You are playing in partner’s long suit (he has at least six). Making a call in a new suit is forcing and shows at least invitational values. So pass, and let partner suffer undoubled!
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
Q 10 7 6 3 |
| ♥ |
9 5 3 2 |
| ♦ |
— |
| ♣ |
K Q J 5 |
| 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].
November 20th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Friday, November 6, 2009
| Dealer: East
Vul: N/S |
North |
|
| ♠ |
K Q J 10 2 |
| ♥ |
7 2 |
| ♦ |
6 5 4 |
| ♣ |
K 10 9 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
A 9 8 7 5 |
♠ |
6 4 3 |
| ♥ |
9 5 4 |
♥ |
8 |
| ♦ |
2 |
♦ |
K Q J 10 8 7 |
| ♣ |
8 7 5 3 |
♣ |
J 6 4 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
— |
| ♥ |
A K Q J 10 6 3 |
| ♦ |
A 9 3 |
| ♣ |
A Q 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
|
3♦ |
| Dbl. |
Pass |
4♠ |
Pass |
| 6♥ |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♦2
“A true friend is one who overlooks your failures and tolerates your success.”
— Doug Larson
In today’s deal, after partner’s leap to four spades the least you could do was to bid six hearts. How do you plan to make 12 tricks after West leads the diamond two, an obvious singleton?
Your best chance is to hope that West holds the spade ace. After winning the diamond lead with the ace, you draw trumps, discarding diamonds from dummy. The only way to make 12 tricks is to utilize dummy’s spade suit, but there appears to be only one club entry to the dummy. One possibility is to seek a second club entry by leading the club two, intending to finesse dummy’s 10. This would rely on luck, since you would need West to hold the club jack. In any case, though, in this column an alert West would always spoil your plan by playing that card at his first opportunity!
In addition, the above plan would be disastrous on the actual lie of the cards, as East would win the club jack and cash a couple of diamonds. But there is no need to rely on such a dubious approach. You should lead the club queen and overtake it with dummy’s king. You then play the spade king, discarding a diamond.
West wins with the spade ace and has no good return. A spade will give the lead to dummy, allowing you to throw a diamond and a club. Similarly, a club exit will promote the 10-9 to an entry, no matter who holds the club jack.
ANSWER: When you bid only three spades over your partner’s double, you showed a poor hand. Now that your partner has cue-bid in support of spades and is looking for slam, he must have a very good hand indeed. In context therefore, you are well worth a cue-bid of four diamonds. If partner continues with four hearts, you may even be too good to sign off in four spades!
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
A 9 8 7 5 |
| ♥ |
9 5 4 |
| ♦ |
2 |
| ♣ |
8 7 5 3 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| Pass |
3♣ |
Dbl. |
Pass |
| 3♠ |
Pass |
4♣ |
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].
November 19th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, November 5, 2009
| Dealer: North
Vul: None |
North |
|
| ♠ |
K Q J |
| ♥ |
K 10 7 3 2 |
| ♦ |
A 8 7 |
| ♣ |
A J |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
10 9 7 |
♠ |
4 |
| ♥ |
J 5 |
♥ |
Q 9 8 4 |
| ♦ |
J 9 4 2 |
♦ |
10 6 5 3 |
| ♣ |
K Q 10 9 |
♣ |
7 6 4 2 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
A 8 6 5 3 2 |
| ♥ |
A 6 |
| ♦ |
K Q |
| ♣ |
8 5 3 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
1♥ |
Pass |
| 1♠ |
Pass |
2 NT |
Pass |
| 3♠ |
Pass |
4♣* |
Pass |
| 4 NT |
Pass |
5♣ |
Pass |
| 5♦ |
Pass |
5♥ |
Pass |
| 7♠ |
All Pass |
|
|
Opening Lead:♣K
“Doing easily what others find difficult is talent; doing what is impossible for talent is genius.”
— Henri Frederic Amiel
In today’s spade grand slam you have 12 top tricks. The best plan for a 13th is to set up a long heart. As the only way to reach any established long card in hearts is with a trump, you will need the trumps to break no worse than 3-1. How will you go about setting up the hearts, though? If West is short in hearts, as in the diagram, you need to be careful.
After winning the club lead with dummy’s ace, you should cash the diamond king-queen, followed by the heart ace. You then cross to dummy with a trump and play the diamond ace, throwing the heart six from hand. Now you can afford to ruff a heart in your hand with a low trump. You return to dummy with a second round of trumps and lead another low heart, ruffing it with the ace to circumvent any potential overruff. Next you play another trump to dummy, drawing West’s remaining trump in the process. All that remains to do is to cash the heart K-10, discarding the club 8-5 from hand and leaving you with a trump to take care of dummy’s club jack. You make six trumps, three hearts, three diamonds and a club.
With the cards lying as shown, if you do not discard a heart on the diamond ace, you would end up promoting a trump trick for West. In fact, the recommended line loses only when West has a doubleton diamond, a far less likely holding than a doubleton heart.
ANSWER: In this sequence it is current expert practice to play a call of two spades as natural. The question is whether this hand is good enough for that call. I would reserve it for a better hand or suit. So pass and plan to back in later in spades when and if the opportunity presents itself.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
A 8 6 5 3 2 |
| ♥ |
A 6 |
| ♦ |
K Q |
| ♣ |
8 5 3 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
1♥ |
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].
November 18th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, November 4, 2009
| Dealer: South
Vul: None |
North |
|
| ♠ |
J 9 5 |
| ♥ |
A Q 10 9 |
| ♦ |
J |
| ♣ |
J 10 5 4 2 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
A 8 2 |
♠ |
Q 7 6 4 3 |
| ♥ |
J 8 |
♥ |
K 7 6 5 |
| ♦ |
9 8 7 6 2 |
♦ |
5 4 3 |
| ♣ |
K 7 3 |
♣ |
9 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
K 10 |
| ♥ |
4 3 2 |
| ♦ |
A K Q 10 |
| ♣ |
A Q 8 6 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1♦ |
Pass |
1♥ |
Pass |
| 2 NT |
Pass |
3 NT |
All Pass |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♠2
“One problem after another presents itself and in the solving of them we can find our greatest pleasure.”
— Karl Menninger
In today’s deal, from last year’s World Junior Pairs in Budapest, East had a difficult defensive problem. To his credit, he solved it at the table without giving the game away to his partner.
Three no-trump by North is far less attractive than three no-trump by South, but some pairs managed to make declarer in the South seat uncomfortable too. Witness Pavel Pekny and David Vozabal of the Czech Republic, who defended well against an Israeli declarer.
West had been put off the diamond lead by the auction since he knew South would have at least four cards in the suit. Which of the black suits would you prefer to lead?
My instinct is that there are more ways for a club lead to gain than a spade. That you have a certain entry on the side means that if a club lead sets the suit up, you have a sure way to get back on lead. The same is not necessarily true if a spade lead works well.
In fact, though, West elected to lead a low spade from his ace, and it is difficult to argue with success. Declarer did the best he could by putting up dummy’s jack (a nice play to encourage a defensive error), but East ducked, contributing an encouraging spot-card. West could not be prevented from getting in later on with his club king and cashing out the spades for down one.
ANSWER: Partner has doubled to bring you into the auction and you have a surprisingly good hand — indeed, you have enough to invite game by jumping to three hearts. With the same hand but one fewer heart honor you would bid two hearts, perhaps planning to compete to three clubs over two spades.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
J 9 5 |
| ♥ |
A Q 10 9 |
| ♦ |
J |
| ♣ |
J 10 5 4 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
|
1♠ |
| Pass |
1 NT |
Dbl. |
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].
November 17th, 2009 ~ admin ~ 4 Comments
| Dealer: West
Vul: N/S |
North |
|
| ♠ |
6 |
| ♥ |
A 9 6 |
| ♦ |
8 7 4 2 |
| ♣ |
A K Q 8 3 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
K Q J 10 8 7 5 3 |
♠ |
9 |
| ♥ |
4 |
♥ |
Q J 10 8 7 3 |
| ♦ |
A Q 5 |
♦ |
J 10 9 3 |
| ♣ |
9 |
♣ |
J 6 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
A 4 2 |
| ♥ |
K 5 2 |
| ♦ |
K 6 |
| ♣ |
10 7 5 4 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
1♠ |
Dbl. |
2♥ |
| 3♣ |
4♠ |
5♣ |
All Pass |
| |
|
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|
| |
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|
Opening Lead:♠K
“If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must Man be of learning from experience!”
— George Bernard Shaw
Today’s deal was sent in anonymously, thus sparing the feelings of the guilty. It is one of my favorites this year, even though declarer, who was in five clubs, totally missed the point. Try testing yourself to see if you can do better.
Everybody contributed quite actively to the auction except South, who might have been surprised to hold such a good hand on this bidding. Perhaps that explains why she rather tamely won the heart opening lead, drew trumps, led a diamond to the king, and quietly lost three tricks in the red suits.
If you believe the opponents, the chance of the diamond finesse working is slim to zero — and slim has just left the building. Instead you need to make use of your powerful spades, not to win tricks but to endplay West. Win the spade lead in hand and ruff a spade high in dummy, accepting the risk of the 3-0 trump break. Then cash the club ace-king, take the heart ace, cross to the heart king, and lead your third spade, pitching a heart from dummy.
West has to win this trick and can either concede a ruff-sluff, when you will pitch a diamond from hand, or lead ace and a diamond, in which case you have the rest.
Note: you need to ruff the spade before drawing trumps. If you win the spade lead, then cash the club ace-king and play the heart ace-king, you can then ruff a spade, but can’t exit from dummy conveniently.
ANSWER: Before you bid, remember that a jump to three clubs here would be shapely and pre-emptive. But in any event you do not want to make a limit raise with this hand. Start by doubling one no-trump, since you will be happy to defend that contract if allowed to. Should the opponents run, you would plan to compete to three clubs.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
A 4 2 |
| ♥ |
K 5 2 |
| ♦ |
K 6 |
| ♣ |
10 7 5 4 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
1♣ |
1 NT |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
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].
November 16th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Monday, November 2, 2009
| Dealer: East
Vul: E/W |
North |
|
| ♠ |
Q 4 2 |
| ♥ |
6 4 2 |
| ♦ |
6 5 2 |
| ♣ |
A 10 7 4 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
7 6 5 |
♠ |
K J 10 9 3 |
| ♥ |
A 9 5 |
♥ |
3 |
| ♦ |
J 9 3 |
♦ |
Q 10 8 4 |
| ♣ |
J 9 8 3 |
♣ |
K 6 5 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
A 8 |
| ♥ |
K Q J 10 8 7 |
| ♦ |
A K 7 |
| ♣ |
Q 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
|
Pass |
| 1♥ |
Pass |
2♥ |
2♠ |
| 4♥ |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:S♠
“There is such a choice of difficulties that I am myself at a loss how to determine.”
— James Wolfe
Consider the play in today’s four hearts when a spade is led. Had the opponents been silent, the best chance for the contract would be to find the spade king well placed. The chances of that are slim, though, once East introduces his spades. So which finesse would you like to play for? Take your time!
Based on the auction, declarer decides to play low from dummy and East inserts the nine. Declarer wins the ace and plays the heart king. West wins and continues with a spade. After taking the spade 10, East plays the spade king, ruffed high by South.
Declarer now needs a discard for his slow diamond loser, and the only viable prospect comes from the clubs. Curiously, the location of the club king is irrelevant; all that South requires is that West hold the club jack. After drawing the last trump, declarer leads out the club queen. Here, East wins with the king, but declarer picks up his 10th trick by finessing against West’s club jack on the next round of clubs.
Note that if West had produced the club king on the first round, declarer would have played low from dummy and, again, later finesse West for the club jack. You should also note that finding the club king with East would be enough if there were two entries to dummy — but there are not. You cannot lead toward the club queen, then cross back to the North hand after unblocking clubs.
ANSWER: There seems to be no reason to be active. The most passive choice is a trump, though it may finesse partner, dummy being nearly entryless. If you feel that this risk seems too high, the low-spade lead might be the next most attractive option.
LEAD WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
Q 4 2 |
| ♥ |
Q 6 4 2 |
| ♦ |
A 5 2 |
| ♣ |
9 7 4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
1♦ |
2♣ |
| Dbl. |
Pass |
2♠ |
3♣ |
| 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].
November 15th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, November 1, 2009
| Dear Mr. Wolff:
If declarer plays two cards at once, is one of them a penalty card? Are there any other lead penalties that might apply?
— Sentencing Phase, Ames, Iowa
ANSWER: Declarer is not subject to penalty-card rules — those apply only to defenders. The logic is that the defenders can pass unauthorized information to each other; however, declarer can pass information only to dummy, and he does not count. If the two cards are truly simultaneous, declarer picks up his mistake without penalty.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
My partner opened one spade and the next hand doubled. I held ♠ Q-2, ♥ J-9-4, ♦ K-5-3, ♣ Q-10-8-3-2, and it looked normal to me to bid one no-trump. Now came two hearts on my left, two spades from partner, and three hearts on my right. What should I do now?
— Pushed Around, Danville, Ill.
ANSWER: This is a tough one. You have average values, nothing wasted in hearts, and slightly better trumps than partner might expect. I’d bid three spades, conscious that I might be turning a small plus score into a small minus, but unwilling to sell out when both part-scores might be making.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
What exactly is an Appeals Committee? How does it work and who sets it up?
— Judge Judy, Monterey, Calif.
ANSWER: When a tournament director makes a ruling, the Laws of Bridge generally allow a player to appeal that ruling. In local clubs, or in regional tournaments, a committee (ideally three or five people) would be made up of the better available players with a firm grasp of the laws and procedures. In Nationals and World events the committees are planned in advance, with teams of available arbitrators standing by. |
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Dear Mr. Wolff:
Last to speak, I had ♠ 10, ♥ J-6-3-2, ♦ A-Q-10-9, ♣ K-8-7-2. My partner opened one spade, and when I responded one no-trump, he jumped to three hearts, natural and game-forcing. I was sure I was too good just to bid four hearts, but what might my options be?
— Higher Learning, Detroit, Mich.
ANSWER: There is no expert agreement here as to what a bid of four diamonds (or five diamonds) might show. My best guess is that suits by you below three no-trump should be natural; bids of new suits are cue-bids; jumps are shortage, agreeing the last-bid suit. So four diamonds is a cue-bid agreeing hearts, and would be your best shot.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
All my friends play inverted minors, but they are not sure if those bids are forcing, forcing for one round, or forcing to game. What is your opinion?
— Mad Scientist, Miami, Fla.
ANSWER: Inverted minors apply only in noncompetitive auctions. They are forcing for one round at least unless made by a passed hand, when they are invitational. My own view is that if either opener or responder limits his hand with a rebid of two no-trump or three of the agreed minor at his next turn to speak, that can be passed. Otherwise, the partnership is in a game-force. |
If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, e-mail him at [email protected]. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2009.
November 14th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, October 31, 2009
| Dealer: South
Vul: All |
North |
|
| ♠ |
J 3 |
| ♥ |
A Q J 3 |
| ♦ |
9 4 3 2 |
| ♣ |
A 6 3 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
8 6 4 2 |
♠ |
A K 10 5 |
| ♥ |
7 6 |
♥ |
8 4 2 |
| ♦ |
K 10 6 5 |
♦ |
J 8 |
| ♣ |
9 8 7 |
♣ |
J 10 5 2 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
Q 9 7 |
| ♥ |
K 10 9 5 |
| ♦ |
A Q 7 |
| ♣ |
K Q 4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1 NT |
Pass |
2♣ |
Pass |
| 2♥ |
Pass |
4♥ |
All Pass |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♠4
“But far more numerous was the herd of such
Who think too little and who talk too much.”
— John Dryden
In the main final of the 1999 U.S. Women’s Trials, Jill Meyers and Randi Montin had done very well to declare three no-trump from South. On a spade lead that fetched nine easy tricks.
However, in our featured room, Connie Goldberg reached four hearts on the lead of the spade four (third and fifth). Best defense in abstract might be to shift to a club in case partner’s sole asset is the club king, but East cashed the second top spade. When West followed with the spade two to give count, East (correctly, I think) read this as having suit-preference overtones. She shifted to a top club, giving Goldberg a chance to read the position perfectly.
Declarer drew three rounds of trump as West pitched a club, then cashed two more rounds of clubs. In the five-card ending, South now knew that East had begun with only two diamonds. She led a diamond from dummy, intending to put in the seven if East played low; but East was faced with a different problem.
If she played the diamond jack, Goldberg would cover, and West would win and be endplayed to lead a low diamond. Now Restricted Choice principles would tell declarer to put up the diamond nine. If, as happened at the table, East played her diamond eight, then Goldberg could win the diamond ace and return a low diamond. That let East win the diamond jack, but endplayed her to give a ruff and discard.
ANSWER: Jump to three no-trump to suggest a balanced hand with four hearts. Despite your excellent high cards, you have absolutely no slam interest, so you should focus on reaching the safest game. If partner has shape with his four trumps, he can bid on. If not, he will pass; then you would rate to be in the best spot.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
Q 9 7 |
| ♥ |
K 10 9 5 |
| ♦ |
A Q 7 |
| ♣ |
K Q 4 |
| 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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