December 6th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, November 22, 2009 
| Dear Mr. Wolff:
My RHO dealt and opened one spade, and I held ♠ Q-2, ♥ Q-7, ♦ K-J-7-6-5-3, ♣ Q-8-3. What are the pluses and minuses of acting. Would the vulnerability be critical?
— Weighing In, Dayton, Ohio
ANSWER: Your hand looks more useful on defense. (All those queens might score tricks on defense, but are less likely to be winners when you are declarer.) Also, you have a moderate suit without intermediates. Look at it this way: I’d expect an extra king for a two-level overcall. Move a queen from the majors into diamonds, and a weak jump would be acceptable at any vulnerability but unfavorable.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
Please explain the stop-card procedures. I am new to duplicate bridge and do not really understand why I need to use them when I raise one no-trump to three.
— Slow Coach, Mitchell, S.D.
ANSWER: By using a stop card whenever you make a skip-bid, you allow your LHO time to decide whether he has a problem — indeed, even when he is not likely to have a problem. Sometimes a player DOES want to double when the opponents reach game, or does want to sacrifice. In addition, when your RHO pre-empts or makes a weak jump raise, you will often need time to think. By introducing a mandatory pause, you try to eliminate the passing of information that comes from an otherwise slow action.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
I was in third chair with ♠ Q-J-10, ♥ Q-6-5-3-2, ♦ K-J-7, ♣ Q-9 after three clubs from partner and double on my right. Should I raise to four clubs, or do my soft defensive cards tell me to sit back and go passive? My partner actually had seven clubs and four diamonds, enough for a cheap save over four spades.
— Calculating Risk, Springfield, Mass.
|
|
ANSWER: Don’t be swayed by one deal into thinking you should act with a hand like this, with all those defensive cards. Yes, when partner has extra shape, you might have a save in five clubs, but equally, when all he has is six clubs to the ace-king (it happens!), they cannot make anything at the three-level. You were right to pass, and you did it for the right reasons.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
Often, when I open one club, my LHO overcalls or doubles, my partner raises to two clubs, and the next hand either supports his partner or bids a new suit. If I have clubs (say four in a balanced or semibalanced hand), should I bid three clubs? What if I have five clubs in a balanced hand?
— Gone Clubbing, Jackson, Tenn.
ANSWER: When your partner raises clubs, you hope he will have five, but expect him to have additional shape or values if he has only four. Hence, if you have four clubs and any additional side-suit shape, you should feel happy to compete to the three-level. With five trumps I would always bid on to three clubs, even if I had a balanced minimum.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
I held ♠ 9-4-2, ♥ A-Q-7-4-2, ♦ K-5-3, ♣ 8-3. My partner opened one club, and my RHO bid one spade. Is my hand good enough for me to bid two hearts? I thought not, so I made a negative double, and now heard a raise to two spades on my left, passed back to me. What is appropriate now?
— Broken Hearts, Elkhart, Ind.
ANSWER: You were right not to bid two hearts, although you might have taken that action as a passed hand. The minimum for a two-level bid should be an invitation facing a suitable 12-14 balanced hand. So with a sixth heart (or the heart jack instead of a small card), bidding two hearts would be fine. On the actual auction I’d regretfully pass out two spades. It may not be our best possible plus-score, but it looks like our best chance to go plus. |
If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, e-mail him at [email protected]. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2009.
December 5th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, November 21, 2009
| Dealer: West
Vul: E/W |
North |
|
| ♠ |
— |
| ♥ |
9 8 4 |
| ♦ |
J 9 8 7 2 |
| ♣ |
J 8 6 3 2 |
| West |
 |
East |
| ♠ |
K J 3 2 |
♠ |
10 8 7 4 |
| ♥ |
J 10 6 5 2 |
♥ |
K 7 3 |
| ♦ |
5 |
♦ |
K Q 6 4 3 |
| ♣ |
Q 9 4 |
♣ |
7 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
A Q 9 6 5 |
| ♥ |
A Q |
| ♦ |
A 10 |
| ♣ |
A K 10 5 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
| 2♣ |
Pass |
2♦ |
Pass |
| 2♠ |
Pass |
3♣* |
Pass |
| 3 NT |
All Pass |
|
|
Opening Lead:♥5
“His imagination resembled the wings of an ostrich. It enabled him to run, though not to soar.”
— Lord Macaulay (on Dryden)
If you want a challenge, cover up the East and West cards and see if you would have done better than the top-class international who misplayed this hand.
Against three no-trump West led the heart five to East’s king and South’s ace. Declarer started by playing ace, king and another club. East discarded a couple of diamonds as West won and continued with the heart jack. What next?
South won the heart queen and ran the clubs. Since East seemed to have started with the guards in diamonds, if he also held the spade king, he would be squeezed if West cashed his hearts. So South now exited with a heart. But West cashed his hearts as East discarded spades easily. Now a diamond exit from West forced declarer to lead away from the spade tenace and go one down.
Do you see where South went wrong? East appeared to have begun life with at least five diamonds when he discarded two of them on the early rounds of clubs. If he had started with four or fewer diamonds, he would surely have had spare hearts or spades to throw. So When South won the second heart, he should have cashed the diamond ace. Now he takes the remaining club winners and exits with a heart from dummy, and West has to lead a spade for South at the end.
When defending, remember that it is often much easier to pitch from a five-card suit than a four-carder — and declarer knows that too!
ANSWER: You are not overly endowed with high cards, but you do possess nice shape and apparently (facing relatively short hearts and a decent hand) have your cards in the right place. Jump to four spades rather than signing off in three spades or (horrors!) passing two no-trump.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
K J 3 2 |
| ♥ |
J 10 6 5 2 |
| ♦ |
5 |
| ♣ |
Q 9 4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
1♦ |
Pass |
| 1♥ |
Pass |
1♠ |
Pass |
| 2♠ |
Pass |
2 NT |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
For details of Bobby Wolff’s autobiography, The Lone Wolff, contact [email protected]. If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, please leave a comment at this blog. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2009. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].
December 4th, 2009 ~ admin ~ 4 Comments
| Dealer: South
Vul: E/W |
North |
|
| ♠ |
A 10 4 |
| ♥ |
10 8 5 |
| ♦ |
A 7 5 |
| ♣ |
A 8 7 6 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
8 7 5 2 |
♠ |
6 |
| ♥ |
J 9 6 |
♥ |
Q 7 4 3 2 |
| ♦ |
Q 9 |
♦ |
K J 10 2 |
| ♣ |
K J 10 2 |
♣ |
Q 5 3 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
K Q J 9 3 |
| ♥ |
A K |
| ♦ |
8 6 4 3 |
| ♣ |
9 4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1♠ |
Pass |
2♣ |
Pass |
| 2♦ |
Pass |
4♠ |
All Pass |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♠2
“It’s never too late — in fiction or in life — to revise.”
— Nancy Thayer
It is always difficult to reject a good plan when circumstances render it unlikely to succeed. Today, West found the only lead to give South a problem in his contract of four spades — namely, a trump. On any other attack, declarer wins, plays ace and another diamond and, when on play again, a third diamond. If the diamond suit fails to break 3-3, South’s fourth diamond can be ruffed in dummy.
South appreciated that the plan of playing on diamonds was now unlikely to work, since the defenders would probably be able to play two further rounds of trump, stripping dummy of ruffing values.
The winning line involved a dummy reversal, with declarer taking three ruffs in his own hand. Declarer carefully won the opening trump lead with his king. Then the ace and king of hearts were cashed, a club played to dummy’s ace, and a heart ruffed high. A club was ducked, and on winning, West returned another trump. This was won in dummy and a club was ruffed high. (Notice that care was needed when winning the opening lead and on ruffing a heart, so that dummy’s trump entry was not compromised.)
Now a diamond to dummy’s ace and a further club ruff took the trick tally to nine: two top hearts, the club and diamond aces, two trumps and three ruffs in hand. Although the South hand was now bereft of trumps, the master spade remaining in dummy was the 10th trick.
ANSWER: Your partner’s call of two diamonds shows a good spade raise. You have enough to be interested in game facing extras, but nothing clear to say. Fortunately you have a way to show this hand after East’s double: pass, which shows a better hand than a reversion to two spades. In all similar auctions, returning to the trump suit is the weakest action, while passing suggests extras.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
K Q J 9 3 |
| ♥ |
A K |
| ♦ |
8 6 4 3 |
| ♣ |
9 4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
Pass |
1♦ |
| 1♠ |
2♣ |
2♦ |
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].
December 3rd, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, November 19, 2009
| Dealer: North
Vul: None |
North |
|
| ♠ |
A 9 2 |
| ♥ |
A |
| ♦ |
J 10 8 5 |
| ♣ |
A Q J 10 3 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
4 |
♠ |
J 10 8 6 |
| ♥ |
10 9 8 4 |
♥ |
K Q 6 5 3 |
| ♦ |
K 7 3 2 |
♦ |
Q 6 4 |
| ♣ |
9 8 7 2 |
♣ |
4 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
K Q 7 5 3 |
| ♥ |
J 7 2 |
| ♦ |
A 9 |
| ♣ |
K 6 5 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
1♣ |
1♥ |
| 1♠ |
3♥ |
4♠ |
Pass |
| 4 NT |
Pass |
5♣* |
Pass |
| 6♠ |
All Pass |
|
|
Opening Lead:♥10
“Sometimes your best investments are the ones you don’t make.”
— Donald Trump
West leads the heart 10 to dummy’s ace against your spade slam. What is your plan?
The first move is to count your winners. If trumps are 3-2, you can make all of the tricks — five trumps, a heart, a heart ruff, the diamond ace and five clubs. However, there is a good chance that West’s pre-emptive raise to three hearts is based on a spade shortage. Suppose that the trumps are indeed 4-1.
If so, you now have a trump loser, but all that does is reduce your 13 tricks to 12 — provided you are careful. Your plan should be to lose a trump trick at a convenient moment. In fact, the only way to make the slam on this layout is to find the somewhat unnatural move of ducking a round of trumps at trick two. Imagine that East wins and switches to his singleton club. You win with the king, ruff a heart with the trump nine, and cash the trump ace. You can then return to your hand with the diamond ace to draw the remaining trumps. You have made six tricks already (three trumps, a heart, a heart ruff and a club), and there are six more waiting to be cashed — a trump, a diamond and four clubs.
Were you lucky or unlucky? You did run into bad breaks admittedly, but in context you were lucky because any nonheart lead from West sets the slam.
ANSWER: In situations of this sort, it is a mistake to act just because you have high cards. Doubling would be highly premature, and reraising spades with such a balanced hand is equally inappropriate. You would want to rebid spades only with a sixth trump, or with extra shape in the side-suits. So pass and leave it to partner to bid again with extra trump length.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
K Q 7 5 3 |
| ♥ |
J 7 2 |
| ♦ |
A 9 |
| ♣ |
K 6 5 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
|
1♣ |
| 1♠ |
Pass |
2♠ |
3♣ |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
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 2nd, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, November 18, 2009
| Dealer: West
Vul: None |
North |
|
| ♠ |
Q 8 5 |
| ♥ |
7 4 |
| ♦ |
10 6 3 |
| ♣ |
A 6 5 4 2 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
K J 4 2 |
♠ |
A 6 3 |
| ♥ |
8 6 3 |
♥ |
5 2 |
| ♦ |
J 9 8 7 |
♦ |
A 5 4 |
| ♣ |
8 3 |
♣ |
K Q J 10 7 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
10 9 7 |
| ♥ |
A K Q J 10 9 |
| ♦ |
K Q 2 |
| ♣ |
9 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
Pass |
Pass |
1♣ |
| 2♥ |
Pass |
2 NT |
Pass |
| 4♥ |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♣8
“Although I enter not,
Yet round about the spot
Ofttimes I hover.”
— William Makepeace Thackeray
Ely Culbertson may not have been credited sufficiently for his skills as a card-player, as opposed to self-publicist.
He supposedly sat West, defending to four hearts in this deal after South’s strong jump overcall. Culbertson led the club eight taken by dummy’s ace. Declarer played a low diamond from dummy, his king scoring the trick. After drawing trumps, South led the spade 10. West rose with the king to play a second club, ruffed by South. Next came the spade seven.
The critical idea behind the deal was that if West had played low, dummy’s eight would have forced East’s ace. Now declarer could get to dummy to lead a second diamond toward his queen for the 10th trick.
Accordingly, on this layout West has to play to block the North-South spades. When declarer plays a second round of spades, West’s action depends on the spot card played. If it is the seven, he must insert the jack, as indeed Culbertson did at the table. East took dummy’s queen with his ace, and now declarer was locked in hand after ruffing the club return and had to surrender two diamonds. If South had advanced the spade nine, Culbertson would have had to follow with a low card, and so would East — not an easy play to find.
(After all, if declarer had a small diamond instead of the spade seven, ducking the second spade would have let through the contract.)
ANSWER: Your partner’s cuebid shows a very good hand, and in context you are not completely broke — far too good to sign off in three clubs. My instincts would be to temporize with two spades, suggesting this sort of spade holding. With four spades, you might well have bid the suit at your first turn.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
Q 8 5 |
| ♥ |
7 4 |
| ♦ |
10 6 3 |
| ♣ |
A 6 5 4 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
1♦ |
Dbl. |
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].
December 1st, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, November 17, 2009
| Dealer: South
Vul: All |
North |
|
| ♠ |
K J 10 8 7 5 |
| ♥ |
8 4 |
| ♦ |
J 10 8 |
| ♣ |
K 4 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
3 2 |
♠ |
A Q 6 |
| ♥ |
10 6 2 |
♥ |
J 9 7 5 |
| ♦ |
9 3 2 |
♦ |
A Q 5 |
| ♣ |
Q J 9 8 7 |
♣ |
10 3 2 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
9 4 |
| ♥ |
A K Q 3 |
| ♦ |
K 7 6 4 |
| ♣ |
A 6 5 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1 NT |
Pass |
4♥* |
Pass |
| 4♠ |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| *Texas transfer to spades |
Opening Lead:♣Q
“To be ignorant of what happened before you were born is to be ever a child. For what is man’s lifetime unless the memory of past events is woven with those of earlier times?”
— Cicero
Nowadays excellent Daily Bulletins are produced at North American national tournaments. Typically these are edited by Brent Manley and Paul Linxwiler, and they generally include a roundup of past events held in the tournament city.
Today’s deal comes from the 1977 contest in Chicago, where West led the club queen against four spades. Declarer won in hand, took stock, and saw four possible losers, two in each of the pointed suits. One of dummy’s diamonds could depart on South’s third heart honor, so a good diamond guess would be needed should there prove to be two trump losers.
But before he had to concern himself about guessing the diamonds, South started by advancing the spade nine. Mike Passell sat East and knew that South had all the unseen points, barring the club jack. His spades were well-placed, but the diamond position could hardly have been worse from a defensive point of view.
Subterfuge was needed. He captured the spade nine with the ace, then played the ace and five of diamonds. With a parking place readily available for dummy’s third diamond, an unsuspecting South played the diamond king, and rather than risk a possible heart ruff, delayed the diamond discard until he had taken the “safe” spade finesse.
Passell pounced with his spade queen, cashed the diamond queen, and yet another seemingly impregnable contract had been sunk.
ANSWER: This auction suggests good diamonds, but it is not clear whether your partner wants to play spades or diamonds, or is probing for no-trump and looking for heart values from you. Regardless, you have the perfect hand to raise to four diamonds. Let him tell you what his intentions are.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
K J 10 8 7 5 |
| ♥ |
8 4 |
| ♦ |
J 10 8 |
| ♣ |
K 4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 2♠ |
Pass |
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 30th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Monday, November 16, 2009
| Dealer: South
Vul: None |
North |
|
| ♠ |
10 3 |
| ♥ |
A 5 |
| ♦ |
A J 9 7 |
| ♣ |
K 6 4 3 2 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
K 7 6 |
♠ |
Q 8 4 2 |
| ♥ |
K J 9 4 3 |
♥ |
8 6 2 |
| ♦ |
K |
♦ |
10 8 6 5 4 |
| ♣ |
Q J 10 5 |
♣ |
9 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
A J 9 5 |
| ♥ |
Q 10 7 |
| ♦ |
Q 3 2 |
| ♣ |
A 8 7 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1 NT* |
Pass |
3 NT |
All Pass |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♥4
“Nevermore let the great interests of the State depend upon the thousand chances that may sway a piece of human frailty.”
— Sir Thomas Talfourd
At bridge, “timing” refers to the order in which key plays are made. Good timing often lets you take advantage of as many chances as possible. In today’s deal, cover up the East and West hands and plan your play in three no-trump.
West leads the heart four, you play low from dummy, East plays the two (suggesting a three-card holding), and you win with the seven. Your most likely nine tricks look to be four clubs, two hearts, one spade and two diamonds. However, since spades offer some prospects too, do not put all your eggs in one basket.
You cannot afford to give up the lead twice or you will lose those two tricks plus three hearts. Therefore, you definitely need the diamond finesse and should make that play first.
When West follows with what is presumably a singleton king, you have three diamond tricks in the bag. If clubs break 3-2, there is no problem, but if they are 4-1, you will need to turn your attention to spades.
Accordingly, after taking the diamond ace, you should play the ace and king of clubs. If both opponents follow, you concede a club and claim 10 tricks, but if someone shows out, change tack and run dummy’s spade 10. West can win with the king and clear the hearts. But now you test diamonds, then take a second spade finesse for your contract, making two spades, two hearts, three diamonds and two clubs.
ANSWER: The deal comes from Krzysztof Martens’ “University of Defence: Opening Leads.” Martens says that a diamond lead is relatively unlikely to strike gold, so you should pick a major. But if partner knew a spade lead would beat the game, he might have doubled to get you to lead your shorter major. That being so, a heart lead looks like the better choice.
LEAD WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
10 5 |
| ♥ |
J 9 7 3 |
| ♦ |
8 7 5 4 3 2 |
| ♣ |
9 |
| 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 29th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, November 15, 2009
| Dear Mr. Wolff:
What do I need to know about percentages to improve my game?
— Innumerate, Seattle, Wash.
ANSWER: There are simple books on the subject (Kelsey and Glauert wrote one) and complex ones by Borel and Roudinesco. Ignore them! If you remember a few basic numbers, you will be fine. Learn the probability of normal splits missing three, four, five or six cards, and you really don’t need much else.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
My partner recently recommended a bid to me called BROMAD. Is this a patent medicine, a piece of soothing advice, or a convention I need to know?
— Pharmacist, Durham, N.C.
ANSWER: BROMAD (Bergen Raise Of Major After Double) suggests that when partner opens a major and the next hand doubles, then a simple raise to two will never be stronger than 7 HCP. A jump raise is weaker still, but with 8-10 and three trumps you begin by bidding two clubs — a purely artificial call to show these values with trump support. More and more people play this style — or something similar.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
In a duplicate pairs game I was second to speak with ♠ Q-10-2, ♥ J, ♦ K-10-5-3, ♣ A-Q-8-3-2 and passed when I heard one spade on my right. This was raised to two spades, and now I balanced with two no-trump. My partner explained this as hearts and a minor! What should I do when he bids three hearts, and this gets doubled?
— Sinking Ship, Portland, Ore.
|
|
ANSWER: The ethical player asks himself what he would have done if his partner had explained the bid as clubs and diamonds — may have no hearts. I think you will see there is no option but to pass, expecting to find partner with seven hearts or so. That being the case, ignore the unauthorized information partner has given you, pass, accept your bottom, and move on to the next deal with head held high.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
When a deal is passed out on the first round of a duplicate tournament, my club allows the hand to be redealt. Is this legal?
— Mulligan, Atlantic City, N.J.
ANSWER: No, it is not legal. I can see the argument that implies the customer will have one less deal to play, but that is not the point. Say I had mistakenly passed a 13-count; should I not suffer for my incompetence or benefit from my opponent’s lapse? And since a few people open third in hand whatever they have, rest assured the deal will not always be passed out.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
I picked up ♠ Q-2, ♥ K-J-7-6, ♦ Q-8-3, ♣ A-Q-4-2. I opened one club, and over my LHO’s overcall of one diamond, my partner doubled to show both majors. I bid one heart and eventually played in two hearts. My partner had 10 points, so game our way was nothing special, but it made when a finesse succeeded. My partner said I had enough to bid two hearts at my second turn. Is that right?
— Monday Morning QB, Huntington, W.Va.
ANSWER: If the worst thing you do all day is miss a game on a finesse, you will never lose again! That said, this is a thorny area of the game. A jump to two hearts suggests extras in high cards or shape, so I too would bid just one heart with this hand, but it IS close. Give me a fifth club or make the shape 1-4-4-4 and you’d tip me toward the aggressive action. |
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 28th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, November 14, 2009
| Dealer: West
Vul: E/W |
North |
|
| ♠ |
6 4 2 |
| ♥ |
8 6 4 |
| ♦ |
8 6 4 2 |
| ♣ |
A 9 4 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
10 9 3 |
♠ |
7 5 |
| ♥ |
A K J 10 5 3 |
♥ |
Q 7 |
| ♦ |
Q 10 |
♦ |
J 9 7 5 3 |
| ♣ |
K 7 |
♣ |
J 10 6 3 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
A K Q J 8 |
| ♥ |
9 2 |
| ♦ |
A K |
| ♣ |
Q 8 5 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
1♥ |
Pass |
Pass |
| Dbl. |
2♥ |
Pass |
Pass |
| 3♠ |
Pass |
4♠ |
All Pass |
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♥K
“What passes for optimism is most often the effect of an intellectual error.”
— Raymond Aron
Against your optimistic contract of four spades, West begins with three top hearts. East produces the queen on the second round and discards a small diamond on the third round as you ruff with the spade eight. Trumps are 3-2, with West having three. As West is certain to hold the club king, given East’s initial pass, is there any way to make your game?
It will do no good to play ace and another club, ducking in the South hand. Even if West has the doubleton club king, you will lose the fourth round of the suit.
You need to try something else. The only way to make the contract is to lead a low club from the South hand, finessing dummy’s nine when West produces the seven. East wins with the club jack or 10, but after dummy’s ace drops the king from West, you can then finesse the club eight on the third round, making the contract.
Beware! If West is good enough to play the club king from his doubleton on the first round, you will have to win with dummy’s ace and lead low to the club eight on the second round. This wins against West’s original holding of king-doubleton so long as West has a small card with his king. Yes, it loses to West’s K-10 or K-J, but if West has been brilliant enough to find the play of the king from either of those holdings, he deserves the fruits of such deceptive play.
ANSWER: Your partner’s auction focuses on whether you can raise clubs, or can stop diamonds for no-trump, or if you have a suit so good you can rebid it again. Here your club support is entirely adequate to give preference to three clubs. If your partner has delayed heart support, he will show it next. If instead he probes for no-trump by bidding the fourth suit, you can co-operate by showing your half-stop next.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
10 9 3 |
| ♥ |
A K J 10 5 3 |
| ♦ |
Q 10 |
| ♣ |
K 7 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1♥ |
Pass |
2♣ |
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].
November 27th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Friday, November 13, 2009
| Dealer: South
Vul: None |
North |
|
| ♠ |
8 |
| ♥ |
7 5 3 |
| ♦ |
A 10 8 5 |
| ♣ |
A K Q J 10 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
K Q 10 7 6 |
♠ |
J 5 4 2 |
| ♥ |
A J 10 9 4 |
♥ |
Q 6 2 |
| ♦ |
— |
♦ |
J 9 6 2 |
| ♣ |
8 6 3 |
♣ |
7 5 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
A 9 3 |
| ♥ |
K 8 |
| ♦ |
K Q 7 4 3 |
| ♣ |
9 4 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1♦ |
2♦* |
3♠** |
4♠ |
| Pass |
Pass |
5♣ |
Pass |
| 6♦ |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| *Majors |
| **Singleton spade and diamond support |
Opening Lead:♠K
“Do your duty and a little more, and the future will take care of itself.”
— Andrew Carnegie
You bid aggressively to the excellent six diamonds and receive a top-spade lead. Plan the play.
You expect to make five clubs, five trumps, the spade ace and a spade ruff. The only worry is that East may hold four diamonds. As you expect West to hold the heart ace, and entries to your hand are few and far between, a little care is needed with today’s layout.
A careless declarer would cash the diamond king at trick two and be doomed at once. A slightly more careful declarer would take the diamond ace at trick two and then lead the diamond eight. A mean East would resist covering that card. Now you cannot arrange to draw trumps and also ruff a spade in dummy, so the contract can no longer be made.
Instead, after taking the spade king with the ace, the key play is to ruff a spade at trick two with the trump 10 (or, if you prefer, the eight) and not with dummy’s small trump. Then, on cashing the ace of trumps and finding the bad news, you must continue with the diamond eight. This time East can do no better than cover. You will take this in hand with the queen, cross back to dummy with a club, and pick up East’s remaining trumps via the diamond finesse. Then, after drawing the last trump, you will have your 12 tricks.
ANSWER: While there might be a case for bidding only two no-trump, partner’s pass over the double suggests a balanced hand. Your crisp honor-structure indicates that you should have a decent chance at nine tricks, and you want to protect your heart holding. So it looks logical just to bid three no-trump and take the pressure off partner.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
A 9 3 |
| ♥ |
K 8 |
| ♦ |
K Q 7 4 3 |
| ♣ |
9 4 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
Pass |
1♣ |
Pass |
| 1♦ |
Dbl. |
Pass |
2♥ |
| ? |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
For details of Bobby Wolff’s autobiography, The Lone Wolff, contact [email protected]. If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, please leave a comment at this blog. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2009. If you are interested in reprinting The Aces on Bridge column, contact [email protected].
|
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