November 13th, 2009 ~ admin ~ 1 Comment 
| Dealer: South
Vul: E/W |
North |
|
| ♠ |
A J 8 7 6 |
| ♥ |
3 |
| ♦ |
6 2 |
| ♣ |
K 9 8 7 3 |
| West |
 |
East |
| ♠ |
K 9 3 2 |
♠ |
5 4 |
| ♥ |
9 8 7 5 |
♥ |
Q J 10 2 |
| ♦ |
A Q 10 9 |
♦ |
J 8 3 |
| ♣ |
2 |
♣ |
A J 10 5 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
Q 10 |
| ♥ |
A K 6 4 |
| ♦ |
K 7 5 4 |
| ♣ |
Q 6 4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1 NT* |
Pass |
2♥ |
Pass |
| 2♠ |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♥9
“Little fish are sweet.”
— English proverb
From the U.S. Women’s Trials of 1999 (where all this week’s deals come from), watch Lynn Deas at the helm in what seemed like a straightforward contract of two spades. In the other room they had attempted game and gone three down, so Deas was assured of a swing in her favor. But she needed to make eight tricks to convert the board into something worthwhile. And with both black suits lying unfavorably and the diamond ace offside, she had her work cut out to make her partscore.
Holding trump control, West sensibly went for the heart lead rather than her singleton club. Deas won the heart ace in hand and could not afford to cash the heart king in case the defense could force her. So she led the spade queen, and West, Peggy Sutherlin, ducked, then covered the spade 10.
That let Deas win in dummy and lead a club to the queen. She now made a careful play of cashing the heart king, ruffing a heart, and exiting with a diamond to cut the defensive communications.
Then, when Sutherlin won the diamond cheaply to return a spade, Deas took no chances, going up with the spade jack and exiting with the club king. She knew that this trick would be won on her right, and that however many clubs East could cash, she would have to lead a red suit at some point. Therefore, dummy’s spade eight would eventually score the eighth trick en passant.
ANSWER: Here you have enough to bid four clubs, which is natural and forcing, suggesting at least some slam interest. It is easy to see that if partner fits either of your suits, you could easily make 12 tricks — maybe even 13. Thus you have to make one slam try and let partner do the running from here.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
A J 8 7 6 |
| ♥ |
3 |
| ♦ |
6 2 |
| ♣ |
K 9 8 7 3 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
2 NT |
Pass |
| 3♥ |
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].
November 12th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, October 29, 2009
| Dealer: North
Vul: None |
North |
|
| ♠ |
Q 9 4 |
| ♥ |
A Q 7 5 |
| ♦ |
10 8 7 |
| ♣ |
A J 4 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
8 3 |
♠ |
K |
| ♥ |
8 4 3 2 |
♥ |
K J 10 9 6 |
| ♦ |
A 9 4 2 |
♦ |
K J 6 |
| ♣ |
8 7 6 |
♣ |
K Q 9 5 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
A J 10 7 6 5 2 |
| ♥ |
— |
| ♦ |
Q 5 3 |
| ♣ |
10 3 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
Pass |
1♥ |
| 4♠ |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♥2
“For everything you have missed, you have gained something else; and for everything you gain, you lose something.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
This week’s deals all come from the 1999 Women’s Trials. The final match in the event decided who would be the second team for the United States in the World Championships taking place in Bermuda the following year. After trailing by 30 IMPs, the Allison team put together two huge final sets to win comfortably. Here is a deal from that match.
Beth Palmer reached four spades, facing the challenging opening lead of a heart. Since East had overcalled in that suit, the chances of the finesse succeeding were slim, and Palmer wanted to be in dummy at trick two to play trumps to best advantage.
So she went up with the heart ace, pitching a diamond from hand, and advanced the spade queen, covered all around. Next she led the diamond queen from hand, and East won the king and returned the suit to West’s ace.
Now a club shift was essential, but West exited passively with a heart. Declarer ruffed high, drew the last trump by crossing to the spade nine, and stripped off the diamonds, ruffing high again.
Finally, Palmer passed the club 10 to East. When that player was in with the queen, she was endplayed. She could exit with a low heart, allowing declarer to pitch a club, or with a top heart, allowing declarer to ruff and cross to dummy’s third trump to take the discard, or could lead a club into dummy’s tenace. All of these plays would let the contract through.
ANSWER: This sequence is a splinter, showing a singleton diamond and a slam-try. Your hand is as good as it could be, with no wasted values in diamonds and great trumps, so simply bid Blackwood, uncouth as that may appear from a balanced hand. If partner cannot make slam facing this hand, he did not have enough for his previous bidding!
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
Q 9 4 |
| ♥ |
A Q 7 5 |
| ♦ |
10 8 7 |
| ♣ |
A J 4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1♣ |
Pass |
1♥ |
Pass |
| 2♥ |
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 11th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, October 28, 2009
| Dealer: West
Vul: N/S |
North |
|
| ♠ |
Q 10 7 |
| ♥ |
K Q 9 7 5 |
| ♦ |
A J 3 2 |
| ♣ |
4 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
J 9 |
♠ |
5 4 3 2 |
| ♥ |
3 2 |
♥ |
A 8 6 4 |
| ♦ |
Q 10 8 |
♦ |
K 7 |
| ♣ |
K J 10 8 6 3 |
♣ |
9 5 2 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
A K 8 6 |
| ♥ |
J 10 |
| ♦ |
9 6 5 4 |
| ♣ |
A Q 7 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
3♣ |
Dbl. |
4♣ |
| 4♠ |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
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|
| |
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Opening Lead:♣J
“When change itself can give no more,
’Tis easy to be true.”
— Charles Sedley
This week’s deals all come from the 1999 U.S. trials to select the Women’s Team for the Venice Cup in Bermuda.
A three-club opening from Beth Palmer, who, like her partner Lynn Deas, is one of the world’s most frivolous pre-emptors, did not stop her opponents from reaching the spade game. Still, three no-trump would have been the best contract — and of course doubling four clubs would have been fairly lucrative as well.
On Palmer’s club lead, South won cheaply and crossed to the spade queen, observing the fall of the nine. She then surprisingly ran the spade 10 — it would have been better to lead the spade 10 to the king at this point. Once the spade nine has appeared on the first round of trumps, you have time for the finesse later on, if necessary.
Palmer won her spade jack and had been given the opportunity to make a nice play. She made no mistake when she carefully shifted to the diamond 10, surrounding dummy’s jack, and this was covered all around. Deas returned a diamond to the nine, queen and ace, and that now killed dummy’s entry to the hearts. Declarer could lead a heart, but Deas ducked, cutting declarer’s communications.
Now, whether declarer ruffed a club or played a second heart, she would finish one trick short. She had three losers in the minors to dispose of and, since Deas could ruff the fifth heart, only two places to put them.
ANSWER: It looks natural to bid diamonds and, if partner gives preference to two hearts, raise spades at your next turn. The problem with following that route is that you suggest extra values, since you have bid on over a weak call. It is far simpler to raise spades at once. (Your three trumps and ruffing value offer huge potential in spades.)
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
Q 10 7 |
| ♥ |
K Q 9 7 5 |
| ♦ |
A J 3 2 |
| ♣ |
4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1♥ |
Pass |
1♠ |
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 10th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, October 27, 2009
| Dealer: East
Vul: E/W |
North |
|
| ♠ |
K |
| ♥ |
Q J 9 8 4 |
| ♦ |
K |
| ♣ |
A K Q J 4 3 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
8 7 6 |
♠ |
Q 10 |
| ♥ |
K 10 |
♥ |
A 7 6 5 |
| ♦ |
J 10 5 4 2 |
♦ |
A 9 3 |
| ♣ |
6 5 2 |
♣ |
10 9 8 7 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
A J 9 5 4 3 2 |
| ♥ |
3 2 |
| ♦ |
Q 8 7 6 |
| ♣ |
— |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
|
Pass |
| 4♠ |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♦4
“’Tis beauty calls and glory leads the way.”
— Nathaniel Lee
In this deal from the 1999 Women’s Trials to select the teams to play in the Venice Cup in Bermuda, all four South players in the finals and those in the match for the once-defeated opened four spades, and all the West players led a red suit.
The thrust of the defense should have been obvious on the lead of the diamond jack, since declarer was known to hold the diamond queen. Therefore the defenders had to go after hearts as a source of tricks. It is still not so easy to shift to a low heart, but on balance it must be the right play. If you cannot cash two heart winners, how will you beat the contract? Nonetheless, most defenders failed that test and declarer came home with her game.
In the main final, Jill Meyers had a much tougher problem as East on a low diamond lead from West, since she did not know who had the diamond queen. She took the diamond ace and worked out to underlead her heart ace. Randi Montin took her heart king and returned the heart 10, and Meyers overtook when declarer ducked in dummy. Now Meyers judged correctly to play a third heart, which forced declarer to ruff with the spade nine, letting Montin discard a club.
At this point declarer could cross to the spade king and pitch her two losing diamonds on the top clubs, but could not exit from dummy without generating a trump promotion for the lowly spade eight! Down one.
ANSWER: Do not focus on your lowly four points. Facing a two-level overcall, you have enough fit and values to compete to three clubs without fear of running into a penalty. Never sell out too cheaply when you have values and a fit. Who knows whether that extra level of competition may turn a minus score into a plus?
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
8 7 6 |
| ♥ |
K 10 |
| ♦ |
J 10 5 4 2 |
| ♣ |
6 5 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
1♦ |
2♣ |
Dbl. |
| Pass |
2♥ |
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].
November 9th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Monday, October 26, 2009
| Dealer: South
Vul: E/W |
North |
|
| ♠ |
K Q 2 |
| ♥ |
K 7 6 2 |
| ♦ |
4 2 |
| ♣ |
10 9 7 5 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
A 10 5 |
♠ |
J 6 4 |
| ♥ |
J 9 4 |
♥ |
10 5 3 |
| ♦ |
Q 10 6 5 3 |
♦ |
J 9 8 |
| ♣ |
A Q |
♣ |
J 8 6 4 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
9 8 7 3 |
| ♥ |
A Q 8 |
| ♦ |
A K 7 |
| ♣ |
K 3 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1 NT |
Pass |
2♣ |
Pass |
| 2♠ |
Pass |
2 NT |
Pass |
| 3 NT |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♦5
“I tell you the past is a bucket of ashes.”
— Carl Sandburg
This week’s deals showcase the U.S. Women’s Trials of 10 years ago. It may well be harder to win these trials than the actual world championships.
I thought the defender did very nicely in today’s deal, giving declarer a chance to go wrong.
South ducked the diamond opening lead against three no-trump and won the diamond return. (Ducking might have been necessary on some lies of the cards, even if it made life more difficult here). Now she led a spade to dummy’s king, a heart to the ace, and a second spade. If dummy’s spade queen scores, South gives up a spade and has nine easy tricks, but West threw a wrench into the works when she hopped up with the spade ace and returned a second heart.
Declarer can still survive if she wins in hand and cashes the hearts, then unblocks spades, and leads a club to the king and ace. West can cash two clubs, but the blockage in that suit means that West must give declarer the lead at the end to cash her diamond and spade winner. In fact, South won the heart in hand and cashed the spade, then played a club to the king without taking the heart winners in dummy. West took her club ace and club queen, then exited with a heart to dummy. Declarer could not reach her spade and diamond winners in hand, so East had to collect her club jack at the end for one down.
ANSWER: The auction appears to be one where the opponents have nothing to spare, and the cards are not lying especially well. That being so, a spade lead through dummy will work well enough if declarer has no high spade in hand. Alternatively, a club may be the most passive lead. It may not establish anything, but it will probably not give too much away.
LEAD WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
K J 9 4 |
| ♥ |
Q 7 3 |
| ♦ |
10 6 3 |
| ♣ |
J 6 5 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
1♦ |
Pass |
1♥ |
| Pass |
1♠ |
Pass |
1 NT |
| Pass |
2 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 8th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, October 25, 2009
| Dear Mr. Wolff:
Can you explain a bid called Unusual Against Unusual? Has it something to do with the Unusual No-trump?
— Business as Usual, Naples, Fla.
ANSWER: You have it exactly right. If the opponents overcall to show a two-suiter with only one suit specified — say, hearts and a minor — cue-bidding their suit shows a limit raise or better for partner. If they specify their two suits, you have two cue-bids. The higher can be played as a limit raise for partner; the lower cue-bid shows the fourth (unbid) suit in a good hand. This means that if you bid the fourth suit, it is natural and nonforcing.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
Holding ♠ J-2, ♥ 6, ♦ Q-J-9-7, ♣ A-Q-10-8-6-4, would you always open three clubs in third seat, or would the vulnerability or scoring be an important criterion? Would you consider opening one club or three clubs in other seats?
— Eradicator, New York City, N.Y.
ANSWER: This does not look like a one-club opening in any seat. I might open three clubs nonvulnerable in first chair because the shortage in the majors argues for pre-empting. In third seat, opening three clubs looks reasonable at any vulnerability. Mixing up your partnership pre-empting style is a useful policy.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
Under what circumstances would you lead a card other than fourth highest against no-trump, assuming you do not have a sequence? When do you lead second highest?
— Rule Breaker, Bremerton, Wash.
ANSWER: I like to lead low or top from three small, not the middle card — and I would lead the top card only when I thought it was unambiguous. From four small, second highest (if the top two cards are not touching) makes sense — but I often lead fourth highest even then because the count is often as important as the honor position to my partner. |
|
Dear Mr. Wolff:
With both sides vulnerable, my partner, who had ♠ K-Q, ♥ K-9, ♦ K-9-7-4-3, ♣ K-Q-10-4, opened one diamond. I responded one spade, and the next hand joined in with two hearts. Partner now bid three clubs, and I bid four diamonds over the three-heart bid on her left. Should partner pass now or bid? If the latter, what call is best?
— Lottery Winner, Wausau, Wis.
ANSWER: The auction is fine as far as it went. Now your partner (missing four aces and a few trump honors) cannot expect you to cover all those losers and only bid four diamonds. Given that she had showed a strong hand, you would have bid game if it were feasible to make it, even though your four-diamond call promised some values and trump support. So it looks right for her to pass four diamonds. She should NOT bid four spades, which would show three trumps, not two.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
As dealer, I picked up ♠ 8-7-6-5-3-2, ♥ A-7-6, ♦ K-Q-4, ♣ A. Because of the outside honors, I reluctantly opened one spade. Although my partner was encouraging toward slam, I signed off at game, but actually made six. Was one spade the right opening bid, or was I just lucky that my partner had so much help?
— Underdone, Atlanta, Ga.
ANSWER: In bridge, as in many aspects of life (though this does not apply either to food or my weight), quantity is better than quality. It is much more important to have trump length than strength in nearly all deals. Here your opening bid was impeccable, and the sixth trump is a great asset in any slam sequence. |
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 7th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, October 24, 2009
| Dealer: South
Vul: E/W |
North |
|
| ♠ |
4 3 |
| ♥ |
10 |
| ♦ |
A Q J 10 |
| ♣ |
A J 10 9 4 2 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
6 2 |
♠ |
Q J 7 5 |
| ♥ |
J 7 3 |
♥ |
6 5 2 |
| ♦ |
K 7 6 5 4 |
♦ |
9 3 2 |
| ♣ |
Q 7 6 |
♣ |
K 8 5 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
A K 10 9 8 |
| ♥ |
A K Q 9 8 4 |
| ♦ |
8 |
| ♣ |
3 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 2♥ |
Pass |
3♣ |
Pass |
| 3♠ |
Pass |
3 NT |
Pass |
| 4♥ |
Pass |
5♥ |
Pass |
| 6♥ |
All Pass |
|
|
Opening Lead:♦5
“I begin with the principle that all men are bores. Surely no one will prove himself so great a bore as to contradict me in this.”
— Soren Kierkegaard
Today’s deal has an Australian feel to it. Played by Tim Seres and reported by the late Dick Cummings, it comes from a rubber game at the Double Bay Club in Sydney and dates to a period when strong two-bids were in use.
West led a fourth-highest diamond against six hearts, and Seres was faced with a series of possibilities, none of which looked attractive. The simplest one might be to play to ruff a spade in dummy, and that was what Seres went for. But which diamond should he play to the first trick?
Seres made the critical play when he inserted dummy’s queen. Then he cashed the two top spades and led a third round, which West was compelled to ruff with the jack. To prevent declarer from ruffing a spade in dummy, West now had to play back a heart.
Seres won the 10 in dummy, then played the diamond ace (pitching a spade), ruffed a diamond, and ran all of his trumps. As the last trump was led out, Seres had a club and the spade 10 in hand, while dummy had the diamond jack and two clubs. To keep his master diamond, West had to reduce to just one club, so a diamond was pitched from dummy. Now East was squeezed between his spade queen and his clubs. When he discarded a club, Seres took the last two tricks with dummy’s ace and jack of clubs.
ANSWER: On some hands, you just have to give up and resist the urge to compete any further. The opponents are likely to hold the balance of high cards here, and your side has nothing special in the way of fit. To top it all, the opponents have the boss suit too. So why fight against the odds? Give up this time, and pass.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
6 2 |
| ♥ |
J 7 3 |
| ♦ |
K 7 6 5 4 |
| ♣ |
Q 7 6 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
1♣ |
Pass |
| 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].
November 6th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Friday, October 23, 2009
| Dealer: West
Vul: All |
North |
|
| ♠ |
A J 8 5 3 |
| ♥ |
A 10 8 6 4 |
| ♦ |
10 |
| ♣ |
5 2 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
Q 7 6 4 |
♠ |
— |
| ♥ |
K J 7 5 |
♥ |
9 3 |
| ♦ |
A K J 5 4 |
♦ |
Q 8 7 6 2 |
| ♣ |
— |
♣ |
Q 10 9 8 7 4 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
K 10 9 2 |
| ♥ |
Q 2 |
| ♦ |
9 3 |
| ♣ |
A K J 6 3 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
1♦ |
2♦* |
3♦ |
| 4♠ |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♦K
“But, for the unquiet heart and brain,
A use in measured language lies;
The sad mechanic exercise,
Like dull narcotics, numbing pain.”
— Alfred, Lord Tennyson
The most painful way I know to record a small loss in a team game is for both partnerships to reach a high-level but makable contract, and to fail in both instances, as in today’s deal.
Against South’s four spades, West started with two rounds of diamonds. Declarer ruffed in dummy and played ace and another heart. (A low heart to the queen initially would have preserved communications.) West won and continued with a low trump. Declarer won this trick in her own hand and now needed to draw trumps while ruffing a heart high in hand, followed by taking a club finesse. But she tried to cash the club ace. This was ruffed by West, and a second round of trumps left her one down.
In the other room North led a trump against five diamonds doubled. West won in dummy and led a heart to the jack, optimistically hoping to find both honors with South. This line produced only 10 tricks.
A better plan simply needs South to hold at least two of the three high clubs. Win the trump lead in East and lead out the club queen. When South covers, West ruffs, then ruffs a spade, and plays the club 10, covered and ruffed high. After West draws the last trump, another spade ruff to dummy allows the play of the club nine, again covered and ruffed. West can reach dummy with a spade ruff to run the clubs and takes eight trump tricks and three club winners.
ANSWER: Two hearts is fourth-suit forcing, and your choice is to rebid two no-trump to show a heart stop, or to repeat your clubs to guarantee at least a decent five-card suit. I prefer the latter, but if your heart stop were slightly better and your clubs a little worse, bidding two no-trump would make good sense.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
K 10 9 2 |
| ♥ |
Q 2 |
| ♦ |
9 3 |
| ♣ |
A K J 6 3 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1♣ |
Pass |
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 5th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, October 22, 2009
| Dealer: South
Vul: E/W |
North |
|
| ♠ |
A Q 10 6 3 |
| ♥ |
A Q 4 |
| ♦ |
7 4 |
| ♣ |
Q 7 4 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
2 |
♠ |
— |
| ♥ |
J 9 8 6 2 |
♥ |
K 5 |
| ♦ |
Q 9 8 3 2 |
♦ |
A K J 10 5 |
| ♣ |
K 8 |
♣ |
A 10 9 5 3 2 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
K J 9 8 7 5 4 |
| ♥ |
10 7 3 |
| ♦ |
6 |
| ♣ |
J 6 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 3♠ |
Pass |
4♠ |
4 NT |
| Pass |
5♦ |
5♠ |
Pass |
| Pass |
6♦ |
6♠ |
Pass |
| Pass |
Dbl. |
All Pass |
|
Opening Lead:♣K
“And time remembered is grief forgotten,
And frosts are slain and flowers begotten.”
— Algernon Swinburne
There may be only one major team-event left that still uses aggregate scoring and not IMP scoring. The Hubert Phillips Bowl in England is a mixed, pivot, knockout teams competition. Here is a deal from a recent final of this tournament, where both tables had done well to sacrifice in six spades over the cold six diamonds.
At one table West led the club king and a second club. East won the ace, laid down the diamond king (on which West signaled to show five diamonds), then continued with a third club, which South ruffed high. Declarer drew the outstanding trump, after which she knew that East could not hold more than two hearts. So South cashed the heart ace, ruffed a diamond back to hand, and led a heart. When West played low, South put up the queen, knowing that if East won with the king, he would have to give a ruff and discard. That held the loss on the board to 500 points.
In the other room, after a diamond lead to the king, East continued with ace and another club. West won and switched to a heart. With the club queen established for a discard, declarer could have guaranteed getting out for 500 by rising with the ace, but he got greedy and played the queen. East won the king and played a third round of clubs, killing the discard, so declarer had to lose another heart at the end. That meant a penalty of 800 and a swing of 300 aggregate points.
ANSWER: You have the perfect shape and values (albeit a minimum in both respects) with which to make a takeout double. You cannot guarantee that you will reach a good spot, nor can you be sure that pushing your opponents up a level will generate a good result for you. But you can be sure that failure to try in situations like this will make you an easy opponent to play against.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
A Q 10 6 3 |
| ♥ |
A Q 4 |
| ♦ |
7 4 |
| ♣ |
Q 7 4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
|
1♦ |
| 1♠ |
2♦ |
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].
November 4th, 2009 ~ admin ~ 2 Comments
| Dealer: East
Vul: All |
North |
|
| ♠ |
A Q 8 6 |
| ♥ |
A K 9 8 7 2 |
| ♦ |
8 |
| ♣ |
10 6 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
K 9 5 |
♠ |
7 |
| ♥ |
6 4 |
♥ |
Q J 10 5 |
| ♦ |
Q 6 |
♦ |
A J 10 7 4 |
| ♣ |
A K J 9 4 2 |
♣ |
7 5 3 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
J 10 4 3 2 |
| ♥ |
3 |
| ♦ |
K 9 5 3 2 |
| ♣ |
Q 8 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
|
Pass |
| Pass |
1♣ |
Dbl. |
1♦ |
| 1♠ |
Pass |
3♠ |
Pass |
| 4♠ |
All Pass |
|
|
Opening Lead:♣K
“Accidents will occur in the best-regulated families.”
— Charles Dickens
In a recent European Championship, one of the pre-tournament favorites was taking on a less fancied team. The favorites had an accident here, selling out to two clubs by West and conceding eight tricks. This was hardly a triumph, with a spade partscore, and possibly a game, on for North-South.
Indeed, in the other room South became declarer in four spades on the auction shown. West cashed two clubs and switched to a heart. Declarer should now win the heart, ruff a heart, draw three rounds of trump via the finesse, and ruff another heart. However, declarer took his eye off the ball and played a diamond instead of a heart off the dummy at trick four. East won his ace and found the bright defense of playing a third round of clubs to give a ruff and discard. This left declarer with no winning play. He could ruff in dummy, ruff a heart, and then take a spade finesse, but if he failed to draw all the trumps, he would suffer an overruff, while if he did draw trumps, he would have no entry to the established hearts. So the board produced no swing.
Incidentally, best defense against four spades is to take the three minor-suit winners and then give a ruff and discard. Declarer must discard a heart from hand while he ruffs in the dummy. Now he can ruff hearts twice in hand without suffering an overruff, while drawing three rounds of trump ending in dummy.
ANSWER: This is an invitational sequence, and your extra shape and attractive honor-structure give you enough reason to bid on. The choice is to bid three no-trump (which seems unduly trusting), to commit unilaterally to four hearts, or to show your shape with a three-spade bid and let partner decide. I’d go for the third option, even though it reveals your hand-type to the opponents.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
A Q 8 6 |
| ♥ |
A K 9 8 7 2 |
| ♦ |
8 |
| ♣ |
10 6 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1♥ |
Pass |
1 NT |
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].
|
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