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. |
|
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].
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 |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
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].
|
Subscribe to our feed
Bridge-related