January 5th, 2010 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, December 22, 2009 
| Dealer: West
Vul: N/S |
North |
|
| ♠ |
10 4 2 |
| ♥ |
K 2 |
| ♦ |
A K Q J 8 |
| ♣ |
Q 3 2 |
| West |
 |
East |
| ♠ |
A J 8 |
♠ |
Q 9 5 |
| ♥ |
J 10 9 8 7 4 |
♥ |
6 5 |
| ♦ |
10 6 |
♦ |
9 7 3 |
| ♣ |
K 7 |
♣ |
A 8 6 5 4 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
K 7 6 3 |
| ♥ |
A Q 3 |
| ♦ |
5 4 2 |
| ♣ |
J 10 9 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
2♥ |
3♦ |
Pass |
| 3 NT |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♥J
“The world of books is the most remarkable creation of man. Nothing else that he builds ever lasts.”
— Clarence Shepard Day
Today’s deal comes from my favorite bridge book of 2009, Larry Cohen’s “My Favorite 52,” published by Master Point Press.
As South you reach three no-trump after West has pre-empted. On the lead of the heart jack you count nine tricks, so long as diamonds split. What could go wrong?
Well, if you win the heart in hand and play a club, the defenders might meanly play three rounds of the suit (leaving the hearts blocked), and they may then have clubs to cash when they get in with the spade ace.
Say instead that you win the heart king, test diamonds, and then play a club to the jack and king. Back comes a heart. Now, if you cash your third heart, the defenders have set up their suit before you have established your club winner (if West has the spade ace). If you do not cash the third heart, but lead a club to the queen, hoping the defenders take the trick, they meanly duck it! Curtains, if East has the spade ace.
Far better is to take the heart king and lead the club queen. If the defenders duck, you cash out; if they win it, you can ensure a club re-entry to hand.
One more wrinkle: If you win the heart king and play the club queen, an unkind East might win and shift to the spade queen. Does he have Q-J-9, in which case you must cover the second spade, not the first? Or does he have his actual holding, when failure to cover the queen will be fatal? Fortunately, there are not many opponents who would be so unpleasant.
ANSWER: There is no reason to do anything outlandish here. Give preference to two diamonds and let partner decide whether he has any game interest. You have a maximum in high cards, but no fitting honors for your partner, so stay low until asked to do otherwise.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
K 7 6 3 |
| ♥ |
A Q 3 |
| ♦ |
5 4 2 |
| ♣ |
J 10 9 |
| 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].
January 4th, 2010 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Monday, December 21, 2009
| Dealer: South
Vul: E/W |
North |
|
| ♠ |
A J 5 3 |
| ♥ |
8 5 2 |
| ♦ |
K 5 |
| ♣ |
Q 9 6 5 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
7 |
♠ |
Q 9 6 4 |
| ♥ |
K Q 10 6 3 |
♥ |
J 4 |
| ♦ |
9 8 7 4 2 |
♦ |
Q J 6 |
| ♣ |
A 7 |
♣ |
8 4 3 2 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
K 10 8 2 |
| ♥ |
A 9 7 |
| ♦ |
A 10 3 |
| ♣ |
K J 10 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1 NT |
Pass |
2♣ |
Pass |
| 2♠ |
Pass |
4♠ |
All Pass |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♥K
“I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it.”
— Harry S. Truman
“At least I guessed which way to finesse for the trump queen. It was only the 4-1 break that beat me,” claimed declarer.
“The choice of direction for the finesse was no guess, and the 4-1 break should not have been a problem,” retorted his partner.
West led the heart king against four spades, and declarer counted three losers in the side suits. South won the lead, then, after mentally tossing a coin, chose to play East for the trump queen, since the opening lead marked West with longer hearts than his partner.
Declarer led a low trump to the ace, then played a small spade from dummy back to the 10. The good news was that the 10 held; the bad news was that West showed out, leaving an inevitable trump loser to send the contract down one.
North was right in the post-mortem. If spades break 3-2, then it is a guess as to who has the queen. But what if trumps are 4-1? The key here is the location of the trump eight and nine: it is not possible to pick up Q-9-7-6 of spades with West, because the spade nine would lie over the eight, permitting just one finesse. But if East has that holding, declarer can take two trump finesses, first against the queen, then against the nine.
Thus, after declarer plays dummy’s spade ace, he must continue with the jack. East covers, the king wins, the club ace is flushed out, and dummy is re-entered for a finesse against the spade nine.
ANSWER: Declarer rates to have five or six clubs and be short in both majors. Partner’s failure to raise spades suggests he too may be weak in that suit. All of this argues for trying to set up tricks in diamonds before declarer can pitch his losers in that suit on dummy’s major-suit holdings. However, if I had the J-10 of spades, I might lead from the sequence.
LEAD WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
J 9 4 3 |
| ♥ |
A 10 8 6 |
| ♦ |
Q 5 2 |
| ♣ |
J 9 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
1♥ |
Dbl. |
1 NT |
| 2♠ |
Pass |
Pass |
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].
January 3rd, 2010 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, December 20, 2009
| Dear Mr. Wolff:
I was playing two hearts and one opponent revoked on the first round of trumps. When she discovered the revoke, she played her trump ace at her first opportunity. How many tricks should the revoke penalty be? If I had made 10 tricks, would that have given us game?
— No-Joke Revoke, Orlando, Fla.
ANSWER: The revoke penalty laws now say that if you win the trick on which you revoked and subsequently your side wins another trick, it is a two-trick penalty; if not, it is one trick, if your side wins a subsequent trick. If the penalty does not restore equity, the Tournament Director (or the other players in a social game) will try to do so. At rubber, if you did not bid game, you can never get the game bonus. If you play two hearts, you will get that score below the line, with overtricks above the line, as increased by the revoke.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
When your partner doubles an opening bid of three diamonds and you hold ♠ A-8-4-3, ♥ A-Q-9-7-3, ♦ 3, ♣ J-10-3, should you do more than bid four hearts? I could envisage this hand getting our side to slam, but I did not know how to find out.
— Reach for the Stars, Duluth, Minn.
ANSWER: I understand why you felt inclined to bid more than four hearts. Maybe if you cue-bid four diamonds, intending to pass a response in either major, you will get to the right trump fit most of the time. And if your partner has real extras, he may do more than settle for a four-level action, so you get the best of all worlds.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
Is my opening bid of four clubs asking for aces? If not, what does it show?
— In the Clover, Monterey, Calif.
|
|
ANSWER: No, an opening four-club bid shows more clubs than a three-club opening bid but fewer than a five-club call. In fact, most experts will use a four-club bid as Gerber (ace-asking) only when the other hand has opened or rebid no-trump at his previous turn.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
You open one diamond, your LHO bids two clubs, and partner bids two hearts. What should you do with ♠ Q-9-6-4, ♥ A, ♦ A-Q-8-6-4, ♣ 10-9-8? Was two hearts forcing — and if so, what is the least lie now, since two spades would be a reverse?
— Confused, Boise, Idaho
ANSWER: Bidding spades at the two-level is not strength-showing. If partner had bid one heart and you had bid one spade, that would just show four spades and not promise extras. You did not boost the level of the auction here; your LHO and partner did that. Two spades is natural — it may contain extras but does not promise them.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
When reading your discussion of a safety play, I was reminded of sacrifice plays in baseball. The intentional walk, sacrifice bunt, and sacrifice fly all came to mind. Are these appropriate parallels?
— Club Manager, Austin, Texas
ANSWER: The difference, if there is one, comes from the fact that most safety plays at bridge definitely advance your side’s cause. The sacrifice bunt may not do so — but I agree that the suicide squeeze, safety squeeze and sacrifice fly all get a run in when well executed and now the comparison is indeed apt. From a defensive perspective, the situations with bringing the infield in or leaving it out for double plays are also tactically and strategically challenging and perhaps comparable. |
If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, e-mail him at [email protected]. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2009.
January 2nd, 2010 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, December 19, 2009
| Dealer: East
Vul: All |
North |
|
| ♠ |
7 4 3 |
| ♥ |
10 8 7 4 3 |
| ♦ |
K J 6 |
| ♣ |
K 2 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
K 9 6 |
♠ |
Q J |
| ♥ |
J 9 6 |
♥ |
A K Q 5 2 |
| ♦ |
10 7 4 2 |
♦ |
Q 8 |
| ♣ |
J 8 6 |
♣ |
A 10 4 3 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
A 10 8 5 2 |
| ♥ |
— |
| ♦ |
A 9 5 3 |
| ♣ |
Q 9 7 5 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
|
1♥ |
| 1♠ |
2♥ |
2♠ |
3♣ |
| 3♠ |
Pass |
Pass |
Dbl. |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♥6
“I cannot tell how the truth may be;
I say the tale as ’twas said to me.”
— Sir Walter Scott
Joe Grue, one of the most talented players under 30 in the United States, brought today’s deal to the attention of the bulletin staff. He was sitting East playing in a junior tournament, defending three spades doubled, on a heart lead.
The heart six went to the queen, ruffed. Declarer Adam Edgtton of Australia played a low club to the king and ace, Grue switching correctly to the spade queen, which Edgtton won with the ace. After cashing the club queen and ruffing a club, Edgtton ruffed another heart. A diamond to the king allowed another heart ruff. Declarer had managed to score a considerable number of his small trumps, but was not home yet.
When South played his last club, it was ruffed by West’s spade nine. West drew the opponents’ trumps with the king, but had been reduced to leading diamonds, to declarer’s benefit. The contract could no longer be beaten, whether West played the diamond 10 or a low diamond.
The winning defense in this position is far from obvious, but I think West should have found it. Given that the right play would be for East to shift to a low trump from an original holding of the Q-10, West must ruff the club high so that he can underlead in trumps to his partner. Since South will now be out of trumps, East can cash two hearts and set the contract.
ANSWER: You may have only three-card support for partner, but you have more than enough in diamonds to raise to two diamonds. Remember, your partner’s opening bid guarantees four or more diamonds unless he has four hearts and four spades. The auction has made that impossible, so you can be sure that your side has a real diamond fit. Do not sell out cheaply if you can avoid it.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
7 4 3 |
| ♥ |
10 8 7 4 3 |
| ♦ |
K J 6 |
| ♣ |
K 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
1♦ |
Dbl. |
| 1♥ |
1♠ |
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].
January 1st, 2010 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Friday, December 18, 2009
| Dealer: East
Vul: N/S |
North |
|
| ♠ |
K 5 |
| ♥ |
A |
| ♦ |
J 10 9 8 6 4 2 |
| ♣ |
A 7 3 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
A Q 9 7 3 |
♠ |
6 2 |
| ♥ |
7 5 4 3 |
♥ |
Q J 9 2 |
| ♦ |
3 |
♦ |
A 7 |
| ♣ |
Q 10 5 |
♣ |
K 8 6 4 2 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
J 10 8 4 |
| ♥ |
K 10 8 6 |
| ♦ |
K Q 5 |
| ♣ |
J 9 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
|
Pass |
| Pass |
2♦* |
3♦ |
Pass |
| 3 NT |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead: Take your pick
“When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.”
— Edmund Burke
Today’s deal was well defended by 21-year-old Fiona Brown of Australia, who, partnered by Hugh McGann of Ireland, came fourth in the World Mixed Pairs Championship. Their opponents were 2005 Venice Cup World Champion Daniele Allouche-Gaviard of France, playing with Juan Ventin of Spain.
In third seat at favorable vulnerability, most youth players would have impulsively bid something. The opening pre-empt did not prevent the opponents from reaching three no-trump, but it did give Brown a clue as to what to lead.
Because partner might have competed with three or more cards in each major, Fiona decided that her partner’s most likely long suit was clubs, so she found the logical and devastating opening lead of the club five. Hugh McGann won the king and returned the four to the jack and queen. Declarer made the good deduction that East rated to have the diamond ace. If clubs were 4-4, she had no chance, but if the actual position in clubs existed, she might still be able to block the suit. Therefore, declarer won the second club and played a diamond to the king.
When declarer played a second diamond, West realized that with J-9-8 of clubs, declarer would have played the eight, not the jack, on the second club. Therefore, since East must have the club eight, she discarded her blocking club 10 on the second round of diamonds, letting East run his suit. Three no-trump down two was worth almost a complete top for East-West.
ANSWER: There is something to be said for doubling one spade (for penalties) and then introducing the hearts if the opponents escape to a minor. Equally, bidding two hearts, or even jumping to three hearts directly, would also make good sense. The intermediates suggest that the hand is too good for a simple call of two hearts, so that doubling, then bidding hearts, gets the hand across as well as anything.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
J 10 8 4 |
| ♥ |
K 10 8 6 |
| ♦ |
K Q 5 |
| ♣ |
J 9 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
1♣ |
Dbl. |
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].
December 31st, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, December 17, 2009
| Dealer: South
Vul: All |
North |
|
| ♠ |
Q 10 5 |
| ♥ |
Q 8 2 |
| ♦ |
A 5 2 |
| ♣ |
Q 9 6 4 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
A 8 7 2 |
♠ |
J 9 6 4 |
| ♥ |
5 3 |
♥ |
9 7 |
| ♦ |
10 8 7 3 |
♦ |
K Q 9 6 |
| ♣ |
10 8 7 |
♣ |
A J 3 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
K 3 |
| ♥ |
A K J 10 6 4 |
| ♦ |
J 4 |
| ♣ |
K 5 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1♥ |
Pass |
2♥ |
Dbl. |
| 3♣ |
Pass |
4♥ |
All Pass |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♦3
“Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity.”
— Hippocrates
At the World Championships in Verona in 2006 the best result by a junior player was by Eldad Ginossar of Israel, who collected a bronze medal for finishing third in the World Open Teams Championship, playing with a Turkish partner and Israeli teammates. Here’s Ginossar in action, declaring four hearts.
A diamond was led and declarer played low from dummy to start to cut the defenders’ communications. He could not avoid the loss of a diamond whatever he did.
The diamond went to East’s queen, and a heart was returned. Ginossar drew two rounds of trump and played the spade king. West won the ace and made the fatal mistake of returning a diamond. That was won by dummy’s ace, and a club went to the king. Now Ginossar played off all his trumps, reducing to a three-card ending.
He could keep two spades and the bare club queen in dummy, but what was East to hold onto? With four cards left he had retained the guarded spade jack and the club ace and jack. But now, if he discarded a spade, declarer would lead to the queen and take the 10. If he pitched a club, as he did, Ginossar could throw East in with his club ace to concede the last two tricks to dummy’s spades.
Should West have worked out, when in with the spade ace, that he needed to play a second spade? It is certainly easier with all four hands in view.
ANSWER: The best call here is to double. This is technically known as a responsive double. (These apply when you double a bid-and-raised suit in response to your partner’s double.) The sequence suggests the minors, not spades, since if you had spades, you would bid them yourself. If partner picks diamonds, there is a decent chance he has five of them.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
Q 10 5 |
| ♥ |
Q 8 2 |
| ♦ |
A 5 2 |
| ♣ |
Q 9 6 4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
1♥ |
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].
December 30th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, December 16, 2009
| Dealer: West
Vul: E/W |
North |
|
| ♠ |
K 9 7 4 |
| ♥ |
A Q 10 6 5 3 |
| ♦ |
K |
| ♣ |
J 2 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
A 5 |
♠ |
J 6 2 |
| ♥ |
J 9 4 |
♥ |
K 7 |
| ♦ |
J 9 8 6 5 4 2 |
♦ |
A 10 7 |
| ♣ |
Q |
♣ |
9 8 7 5 3 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
Q 10 8 3 |
| ♥ |
8 2 |
| ♦ |
Q 3 |
| ♣ |
A K 10 6 4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
Pass |
1♥ |
Pass |
| 2♣ |
Pass |
2♥ |
Pass |
| 2♠ |
Pass |
3♠ |
Pass |
| 4♠ |
All Pass |
|
|
Opening Lead:♦2
“This imputation of inconsistency is one to which every sound politician and every honest thinker must sooner or later subject himself. The foolish and the dead alone never change their opinion.”
— James Russell Lowell
Today’s deal comes from the Junior Bridge Camp held in Piestany in 2006. Declarer, Irene Baroni, is one of the young superstars in the making in Italian bridge.
Kevin Dwyer’s lead of the diamond two against four spades went to the king and ace, and back came a club. Baroni took the ace, dropping the queen to her surprise. Now the diamond queen allowed dummy’s club to be discarded, East following with the seven.
The heart finesse lost, and East returned a third diamond, letting Baroni discard a heart from hand and ruff in dummy.
The contract now hinged on finding the spade jack, but Baroni decided to do some exploration first. She played the heart ace and ruffed a heart as East pitched a club. Now came the club king, on which West carefully pitched a diamond rather than ruffing in, then the club 10 and six, the last ruffed in dummy, with West discarding each time. In the three-card ending, with Q-10-8 of trumps in hand and K-9-7 in dummy, whom should you play for the jack? Baroni correctly led a trump to the 10 and made her contract.
All credit to West, though, for not ruffing in at any point. While it is always easy to see why one should get positions of this sort right when all 52 cards are visible, at the table things are much harder.
Declarer’s only clue was that West’s lead, coupled with his discards, and East’s decision to lead a third diamond suggested a 7-3 split there. If so, that meant West had begun with only two spades.
ANSWER: Although you have a little extra shape, your minor-suit holdings are very unattractive and you have already shown your sixth heart, while denying a dead minimum. Hence you have nothing in hand and should pass, hoping you are not already too high.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
K 9 7 4 |
| ♥ |
A Q 10 6 5 3 |
| ♦ |
K |
| ♣ |
J 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1♥ |
Pass |
1 NT |
2♣ |
| 2♥ |
Pass |
3♥ |
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].
December 29th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, December 15, 2009
| Dealer: North
Vul: N/S |
North |
|
| ♠ |
A K 9 8 5 4 |
| ♥ |
J 7 2 |
| ♦ |
K 7 |
| ♣ |
K 5 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
10 3 |
♠ |
Q 7 2 |
| ♥ |
9 6 5 4 |
♥ |
A K Q 10 |
| ♦ |
6 |
♦ |
Q 10 9 4 3 2 |
| ♣ |
Q 10 8 7 6 3 |
♣ |
— |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
J 6 |
| ♥ |
8 3 |
| ♦ |
A J 8 5 |
| ♣ |
A J 9 4 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
1♠ |
2♦ |
| 3 NT |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♣7
“What we anticipate seldom occurs; what we least expected generally happens.”
— Benjamin Disraeli
At a recent New Zealand Nationals, the organizers instituted a play of the day. The first prize went to Dave Wiltshire from Australia for his declarer play in today’s deal. (And yes, an easier way to make a living might have been to pass two diamonds and wait for a reopening double.)
Against three no-trump West led the club seven, and when South’s nine won the first trick, Wiltshire could count eight tricks (assuming that the diamond queen was with East). But where would the ninth trick come from? Wiltshire decided that as nobody had bid hearts, there was a very good chance that hearts were 4-4, so at trick two he played the heart eight from hand and ran it!
East gratefully won the 10 and cashed three more rounds of hearts (declarer pitching a spade from dummy and a spade and a club from hand).
East continued with a small diamond, which Wiltshire ran to dummy’s king. He cashed the club king and finessed the diamond jack. Next came the diamond ace, followed by the club ace, reducing everybody down to three cards. Dummy had its three top spades; declarer held the spade jack, a losing diamond and a club. But what were the defenders to keep?
West had to protect the clubs and thus could hold on to no more than two spades. East had to guard the diamonds and thus could retain only two spades. Therefore, because neither opponent could protect spades, dummy was sure to win the last three tricks.
ANSWER: There is truly no clear-cut action here, but you have a choice between a forcing bid of three clubs, a cue-bid of two spades( showing a good hand but normally offering heart support), and a simple raise to three hearts, which understates your high cards while overstating your heart support. Put me in the cue-bidding camp, but I don’t like any of the choices.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
J 6 |
| ♥ |
8 3 |
| ♦ |
A J 8 5 |
| ♣ |
A J 9 4 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
1♠ |
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].
December 28th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Monday, December 14, 2009
| Dealer: South
Vul: E/W |
North |
|
| ♠ |
8 7 |
| ♥ |
A 6 4 |
| ♦ |
Q J 10 9 5 |
| ♣ |
A Q 3 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
Q 10 9 5 2 |
♠ |
J 6 3 |
| ♥ |
J 5 3 |
♥ |
K 7 2 |
| ♦ |
A 6 |
♦ |
K 8 3 |
| ♣ |
10 6 2 |
♣ |
8 7 5 4 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
A K 4 |
| ♥ |
Q 10 9 8 |
| ♦ |
7 4 2 |
| ♣ |
K J 9 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1♣ |
Pass |
1♦ |
Pass |
| 1 NT |
Pass |
3 NT |
All Pass |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♠10
“No man who is not willing to bear arms and to fight for his rights can give a good reason why he should be entitled to the privilege of living in a free community.”
— Theodore Roosevelt
Today’s deal, which might be described as the art of the possible, gives both sides the chance to play well. West leads a spade against South’s contract of three no-trump, reached after South had shown a balanced hand with 12-14 points.
To start with, South must duck the first spade and win the second. (In the unlikely event that spades are 6-2 with the diamond honors split, this initial duck will exhaust East of his spades.) Next comes the misdirection: South should sneakily cross to dummy with the club queen to advance the diamond queen, as if taking a finesse.
A smart East will still rise with the diamond king at once to protect his partner’s entry. Then he can play a third spade, and West will be able to cash out to set the hand when he wins his diamond ace.
Should East be able to find this rather unnatural defense? He could argue that if declarer has the diamond ace, the defenders won’t set the hand. East knows from the opening lead that South has two high spades (surely the spade ace-king), two club tricks, and one heart. If he has the diamond ace, he has at least four diamond winners. Therefore, East’s only legitimate chance to beat the hand comes from finding West with the diamond ace. East should see the need to protect his partner’s entry so that West can reach his spade winners.
ANSWER: When you are on lead against what you assume to be a sacrifice, with your side holding more than half the deck in high cards, your first reaction should always be to lead a trump to prevent a crossruff. It is highly unlikely that declarer will be able to establish a minor in dummy and make the hand; far more frequently you will reduce declarer’s chance of taking his trumps separately.
LEAD WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
8 4 |
| ♥ |
A J 6 |
| ♦ |
K Q 6 3 |
| ♣ |
J 9 7 4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
1♥ |
1♠ |
| 2♠ |
4♠ |
Pass |
Pass |
| 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].
December 27th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, December 13, 2009
| Dear Mr. Wolff:
When I hold an ace, my partner will often hold the king of the same suit, but neither of us will lead the suit because we do not want to underlead an ace or king. How often is it fatally wrong to cash an unsupported ace against a slam?
— Living Dangerously, Charleston, S.C.
ANSWER: The question of whether more slams are let through by cashing an ace unwisely as opposed to not cashing an ace is such a vexed one that many partnerships have split up over it. My view is not to lead an ace unless the auction sounds so strong that I imagine my tricks may go away. And when I have a sequence, I normally would lead that instead.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
Playing rubber bridge, I held ♠ —, ♥ K-J-10-9-7-5-3, ♦ A-K-J-7-3, ♣ 10. My RHO opened four spades, I doubled, and, alas, all passed. They made 12 tricks. What call should I have made? My partner assumed I was doubling for penalty. She held four diamonds to the queen, and five diamonds would have been a good sacrifice.
— Hidden Treasure, Dallas, Texas
ANSWER: I prefer to use the double for takeout. Partner removes with shape or values, but can pass with a flat weak hand. When you have shape, you should bid your long-suit at an appropriate level, or make a two-suited takeout bid. Most people play a bid of four no-trump here as a two-suited takeout, and that action would get you to a diamond contract. Equally, with 7-5 shape you might just bid hearts and not worry about the second suit.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
My LHO opened the bidding and my RHO now jumped to two spades to show a weak hand and a long suit. I doubled and the next two hands passed. My RHO was thinking of bidding when his partner jocularly asked him if he knew that two spades doubled was game. Was this appropriate – and, by the way, wasn’t my double for takeout, not penalties?
— Innocent Bystander, Macon, Ga.
|
|
ANSWER: It is worse than inappropriate — it is wholly wrong for LHO to suggest to his partner to pass when he may have been about to bid. That would be considered a very grave offense at high levels of the game. Your double sounds like takeout to me. (Most players believe that a double, at your first turn, of any contract except no-trump is for takeut.) Even doubles at your second turn will be takeout if facing a passed partner, of if the opponents have announced a fit.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
Say you deal yourself ♠ A-9-3, ♥ A-Q-3-2, ♦ K-Q-7-3-2, ♣ 10. If you open one diamond and hear a response of one spade, what options would you consider sensible?
— Chunky Monkey, West Palm Beach, Fla.
ANSWER: You have a good but not great hand, nearly good enough for a reverse to two hearts because of the spade fit, but not quite. Give yourself the diamond jack instead of a small one and you’d do that. Since you cannot repeat diamonds or bid no-trump, you’re left with a slightly inelegant raise to two spades. You are a little too strong but have only three trumps — on balance, it is about right.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
I follow your column on a daily basis in “The Gazette” in Montreal. From what source do you get the quotes that precede the analyses? Do you research them yourself or do you have a staff member who finds them for you?
— Marion the Librarian, Montreal
ANSWER: Bartlett’s, The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations and the web suffice. Generally, I have a thematic idea I’m looking for, which ties into the deal. Occasionally, when the deal suggests nothing, I go to some bridge collections and browse for something funny, entertaining or thought-provoking. |
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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