August 16th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, August 2, 2009 
| Dear Mr. Wolff:
I have just taken up the Michaels Cue-Bid, whereby a cue-bid of a minor opening shows 5-5 in the majors, and a cue-bid of a major promises the other major and a minor, again at least 5-5 pattern. How should one respond to the cue-bid in the latter sequence?
— On Hold, Chicago, Ill.
ANSWER: There are two styles, the simpler of which is to bid two no-trump to ask for the minor, with bids of either minor showing that suit with a desire to play there. Better, if slightly more complex, is to use two no-trump as guaranteeing invitational values. Now a response of three clubs asks the two-suited hand to pass or correct to three diamonds. That frees up a three-diamond bid to show an invitational hand in partner’s major.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
I was fourth to speak with ♠ K-J-7-4-3, ♥ J-4-3-2, ♦ 9-5-3, ♣ 8 and responded one spade to my partner’s double of one diamond. The next hand bid two diamonds, and my partner doubled again. What does that show and what should I do next?
— Double Trouble, San Francisco, Calif.
ANSWER: Your partner’s double shows real extras and is for takeout. (You cannot convert a takeout double to penalties the next time he doubles.) Since you have a good hand in context and a second suit, jump to three hearts. After all, you would bid two hearts if the spade king were the two.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
In an unopposed sequence, I opened one diamond and rebid two diamonds over my partner’s one-no-trump response. I had six diamonds and 13 points. My partner now rebid two no-trump. What was he showing?
— Terra Incognita, Boise, Idaho
|
|
ANSWER: Your partner knows you have six diamonds and nothing to spare in values. This sequence suggests about a 10-count with a stop in each side suit and fitting diamond cards, making it a try for game. Imagine a hand with an ace or king in each major, four clubs to the J-10, and perhaps queen-third of diamonds. If your diamonds are semisolid, you may have enough for three no-trump now; otherwise, retreat to three diamonds or pass.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
I opened one heart with ♠ K, ♥ A-Q-J-3-2, ♦ Q-9, ♣ A-Q-10-4-2. When my partner responded one no-trump, I guessed to bid three clubs — maybe a slight push. What is right over partner’s three-heart preference? I assume the sequence is forcing, but must I cue-bid now?
— Lento, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
ANSWER: Three clubs was not unreasonable, but it set up a game force, so three hearts is forcing. That said, with so many values in your short suits, offer partner a choice of games by bidding three no-trump. If he passes, you will surely be happy you were not playing in hearts.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
I know from your earlier comments that you are generally not a fan of weak jump responses. In which sequences do weak jump shifts make the most sense and in which do they make least sense?
— Jumping for Joy, Pittsburgh, Pa.
ANSWER: Clearly a jump response by a passed hand will very rarely make sense as a weak single-suiter. If you had that hand, you would have bid already. Equally, facing an overcall, whether you are a passed hand or not, you will rarely want to pre-empt. You can hardly persuade the opponents they do not hold the suits or values they have already shown. Weak jump raises are entirely sound, and jumps in new suits by an unpassed hand facing an opening bid — in competition — make sense. |
If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, e-mail him at [email protected]. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2009.
August 15th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, August 1, 2009
| Dealer: South
Vul: E/W |
North |
|
| ♠ |
5 3 |
| ♥ |
K J 10 9 |
| ♦ |
K J 8 2 |
| ♣ |
5 4 2 |
| West |
 |
East |
| ♠ |
K J 10 9 8 |
♠ |
7 6 4 2 |
| ♥ |
5 |
♥ |
7 3 |
| ♦ |
10 9 7 6 |
♦ |
A Q 5 |
| ♣ |
K J 10 |
♣ |
8 7 6 3 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
A Q |
| ♥ |
A Q 8 6 4 2 |
| ♦ |
4 3 |
| ♣ |
A Q 9 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1♥ |
1♠ |
2♥ |
2♠ |
| 4♥ |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♦10
“Why a duck? Why-a no chicken?”
— Morrie Ryskind, Robert Florey, and Joseph Santley
Against four hearts West did remarkably well to start with the diamond 10 rather than a spade, which would have simplified declarer’s task immeasurably. Declarer counted eight top tricks, with prospects for one in diamonds and another from an endplay. He also saw that if he covered the lead with dummy’s diamond jack and East had the ace and queen of diamonds, the contract would surely fail. That would point to West’s holding both black-suit kings, and since East would shift to a spade after winning the first diamond, there seemed little prospect of success.
Conversely, if the lead was from the diamond queen, South could always take the finesse later. So declarer made the counterintuitive play of ducking the first trick, which gave the defenders a problem. East overtook the 10 to play a spade, but declarer rose with the ace, then drew trumps. A diamond to the eight then set up two winners on which to dispose of the club losers.
The result would have been the same if East had ducked the opening lead. On a low diamond continuation to the eight and queen for a spade through, declarer would rise with the ace. After drawing trumps and taking a ruffing finesse against the diamond ace, he could play another trump to dummy to shed a club on the established diamond. Finally, a spade exit would endplay West for the 10th trick.
When nothing else seems likely to work, consider ducking the opening lead, even when there are trumps outstanding.
ANSWER: Although you have a little to spare in high cards, nothing about your side-suit pattern suggests that you have your cards in the right place. So you should pass and rely on partner to come in again if appropriate. By contrast, if your partner had opened one diamond instead of one club, it would be clear to compete further, since there would be a double fit.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
5 3 |
| ♥ |
K J 10 9 |
| ♦ |
K J 8 2 |
| ♣ |
5 4 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
1♣ |
Pass |
|
|
|
|
| 1♥ |
1♠ |
2♥ |
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].
August 14th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Friday, July 31, 2009
| Dealer: West
Vul: N/S |
North |
|
| ♠ |
K 9 8 5 |
| ♥ |
10 4 |
| ♦ |
A 7 4 |
| ♣ |
K 9 6 5 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
J 7 6 4 |
♠ |
Q 10 3 |
| ♥ |
A 2 |
♥ |
6 3 |
| ♦ |
Q 6 |
♦ |
K J 10 8 5 2 |
| ♣ |
Q J 10 8 4 |
♣ |
3 2 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
A 2 |
| ♥ |
K Q J 9 8 7 5 |
| ♦ |
9 3 |
| ♣ |
A 7 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
Pass |
Pass |
3♦ |
| 4♥ |
Pass |
5♦ |
Pass |
| 6♥ |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♣Q
“The world continues to offer glittering prizes to those who have stout hearts and sharp swords.”
— F.E. Smith
From the 2008 Spingold in Las Vegas last summer here is Buddy Hanby declaring a touch-and-go six hearts. Perhaps because East did not double the cue-bid of five diamonds, West started with the club queen, ultimately to his regret. (A diamond lead eliminates any chance for 12 tricks.)
Hanby won in hand with the club ace and advanced the heart nine, slightly worried about a possible club ruff by East. West was on the same wavelength, so he hopped up with the heart ace and continued with the club jack. Hanby was relieved when dummy’s club king held the trick, but there was still a lot of work to do. He ran his trumps, and West had to pitch his diamonds to come down to six cards. (He needed to keep two clubs or else Hanby would cross to the diamond ace and ruff a club, making dummy’s remaining club good. Meanwhile, unless West kept all four spades, Hanby would ruff out the spades to set up dummy’s nine.)
Hanby now cashed the diamond ace, ruffed a club to hand, and in the three-card ending, led out his last trump, with the spade A-2 and the diamond nine in hand.
Dummy had three spades and a club left, so West had to keep the club 10 and discard down to two spades. Declarer pitched dummy’s club nine, keeping the three spades — and East was caught. He was down to spade Q-10-3 and the diamond king and could not make a good discard. Contract made!
ANSWER: North has shown a very strong hand with a long diamond suit. You have no heart stop, but you have a decent club stop and no real extras. For the time being, bidding three no-trump lets partner know about your club values. If he has real extra shape, he can always bid on himself.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
K 9 8 5 |
| ♥ |
10 4 |
| ♦ |
A 7 4 |
| ♣ |
K 9 6 5 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
1♣ |
Dbl. |
Pass |
|
|
|
|
| 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].
August 13th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, July 30, 2009
| Dealer: West
Vul: All |
North |
|
| ♠ |
J |
| ♥ |
J 9 |
| ♦ |
K J 10 6 4 2 |
| ♣ |
Q 9 6 4 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
A 10 4 |
♠ |
K 9 8 6 5 2 |
| ♥ |
7 5 3 |
♥ |
6 4 |
| ♦ |
A 8 7 |
♦ |
9 |
| ♣ |
A K 7 2 |
♣ |
10 8 5 3 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
Q 7 3 |
| ♥ |
A K Q 10 8 2 |
| ♦ |
Q 5 3 |
| ♣ |
J |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
1 NT* |
Pass |
3♠** |
| 4♥ |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| *13 – 15 points |
| **Pre-emptive |
Opening Lead:♣K
“Live fast, die young and have a good-looking corpse.”
— Willard Motley
One of the curiosities of the 2008 Summer Nationals was a relatively new national event called the Fast Pairs. Even stranger was the fact that the winning pair is not known for speed.
Neither Adam Wildavsky nor Doug Doub has a reputation for playing particularly fast. However, Doub, declarer in today’s deal, showed that time is not always important. See whether you can match him for low-down cunning.
Against four hearts, the opening lead of the club king drew the club three from East (upside-down count, suggesting an even number). After some thought, West shifted to a heart to dummy’s heart nine and you (East) dropped the eight. What should you do now?
Doub realized that he needed to attack diamonds. If he found the suit 2-2, he would be home, but how could he make it if diamonds were 3-1? Even if West ducked the diamond ace, there would still be no lie of the cards that declarer could cope with. If declarer drew trumps, he would lose two spades; if he did not, he would run into a diamond ruff.
So at trick three Doub ingeniously led the diamond king from dummy and dropped the diamond queen under it, as East perforce played the diamond nine. West decided that his partner had three diamonds, so ducking the trick could not gain. He won his diamond ace and tried to cash out the clubs. Contract made, with an overtrick!
ANSWER: Two spades is forcing and guarantees a good hand. Although you do not have a real club stop, your duty is to rebid two no-trump now, suggesting a club guard. Bear in mind that although you pre-empted, you do not have a minimum hand, so you have nothing to be ashamed of.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
J |
| ♥ |
J 9 |
| ♦ |
K J 10 6 4 2 |
| ♣ |
Q 9 6 4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
|
1♣ |
|
|
|
|
| 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].
August 12th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, July 29, 2009
| Dealer: West
Vul: None |
North |
|
| ♠ |
A 10 3 |
| ♥ |
J 8 6 5 |
| ♦ |
A 8 7 |
| ♣ |
Q 9 4 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
7 |
♠ |
K 5 2 |
| ♥ |
K Q 10 9 3 |
♥ |
A 7 4 |
| ♦ |
Q 9 5 3 |
♦ |
10 6 4 |
| ♣ |
7 5 2 |
♣ |
K 10 8 3 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
Q J 9 8 6 4 |
| ♥ |
2 |
| ♦ |
K J 2 |
| ♣ |
A J 6 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
2♥ |
Pass |
3♥ |
| 3♠ |
Pass |
4♠ |
All Pass |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♥K
“The deed is everything, the glory nothing.”
— Johann von Goethe
In today’s deal, from the last round of the 2008 Swiss Teams in the Summer Nationals, two opposing pairs each helped to generate a game swing for their side. In one room West aggressively opened with a weak two-bid, but his opponents had no trouble reaching four spades. The heart king held the first trick and the heart 10 was ruffed by declarer, who took a spade finesse, losing to the king for a spade return. Declarer now followed the simple line of eliminating hearts, ruffing both the third and fourth round, then throwing East in with a club. In the three-card ending, declarer would have survived if the diamond finesse was right or if East had both the 10 and nine of diamonds, but not today.
In the other room Han Peters as South also reached four spades after a two-heart bid, but that call had shown hearts and a minor. He took a different approach. After finessing in trumps at trick three and receiving a trump return, he took a winning club finesse. Then he drew the last trump by crossing to the ace, ruffed a heart, and threw East in with the club king. Declarer could win the diamond return in hand and run the trumps now.
In the three-card ending, declarer had his three diamonds in hand, and dummy had two diamonds and the heart jack. As he led out his last trump, it squeezed West, who could not keep the diamond queen guarded and hold onto the long heart.
ANSWER: You should not simply raise to four spades. Your hand is an absolute maximum for a passed hand, so cue-bid four diamonds to let partner know, in case he has slam interest. Although it is unlikely your side can make a slam, your partner can still have a really good hand and not be able to bid more than three spades at his first turn.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
A 10 3 |
| ♥ |
J 8 6 5 |
| ♦ |
A 8 7 |
| ♣ |
Q 9 4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| Pass |
3♦ |
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].
August 11th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, July 28, 2009
| Dealer: South
Vul: All |
North |
|
| ♠ |
7 4 |
| ♥ |
9 8 5 |
| ♦ |
A K J 2 |
| ♣ |
K Q 7 4 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
J 9 5 |
♠ |
K 8 2 |
| ♥ |
A J 4 3 |
♥ |
10 7 2 |
| ♦ |
9 8 6 3 |
♦ |
Q 10 5 |
| ♣ |
A 9 |
♣ |
J 8 6 3 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
A Q 10 6 3 |
| ♥ |
K Q 6 |
| ♦ |
7 4 |
| ♣ |
10 5 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1♠ |
Pass |
2♣ |
Pass |
| 2 NT |
Pass |
3♦ |
Pass |
| 3 NT |
All Pass |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♥3
“Early rising is no pleasure; early drinking’s just the measure.”
— Francois Rabelais
All this week’s deal come from the Las Vegas Summer Nationals, to mark the 2009 Summer Nationals currently being held in Washington. But I’m going to set you a slightly unusual problem today. Have a look at all four hands then decide whether you want to defend or declare in the normal game contract of three no-trump. When you’ve made up your mind, I’ll tell you what actually happened at the table.
Erez Hendelman and Melanie Tucker were defending three no-trump in this deal from day two of the Spingold Knockout Teams. Tucker started the defense off on the right track when she led a low heart, and the 10 forced out the queen. Declarer now tried a club to dummy’s queen and exited with a low spade, Hendelman playing the king! Now what could declarer do? If he ducks, a heart through the South hand leads to immediate defeat. If he takes the spade king with the ace, he can never get back to his hand after clearing the suit.
Note what happens if East ducks his spade king. Declarer puts in the spade 10 and loses the trick to West, who can do no better than shift to a diamond. Declarer wins in dummy and runs the spades via a second finesse. Then a club toward dummy’s king produces the ninth trick for declarer, and the defenders are helpless.
ANSWER: Were you tempted to double to get into the auction at a low level? It is generally a good idea to bid whenever you can sensibly do so — but this is not one of those occasions. A double of one major guarantees tolerance for the other major — in this case, at least three spades. So you must pass and hope for a second chance later.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
7 4 |
| ♥ |
9 8 5 |
| ♦ |
A K J 2 |
| ♣ |
K Q 7 4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
|
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].
August 10th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Monday, July 27, 2009
| Dealer: South
Vul: E/W |
North |
|
| ♠ |
K Q 8 |
| ♥ |
A Q 7 6 5 4 |
| ♦ |
10 9 5 |
| ♣ |
K |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
J |
♠ |
5 2 |
| ♥ |
K J 8 |
♥ |
10 9 3 2 |
| ♦ |
A 6 4 |
♦ |
K Q 8 3 2 |
| ♣ |
Q J 10 9 8 3 |
♣ |
6 2 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
A 10 9 7 6 4 3 |
| ♥ |
— |
| ♦ |
J 7 |
| ♣ |
A 7 5 4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 4♠ |
Pass |
6♠ |
All Pass |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♣Q
“But it is pretty to see what money will do.”
— Samuel Pepys
The format of a typical U.S. Nationals is to hold a major event, typically one with a qualifying session one day and a finals the next, plus a series of minor pair events, each of which lasts one day, sometimes one session long, sometimes two.
Last year the field for a couple of the midweek two-session games included Warren Buffett, playing with multiple World Champion Sharon Osberg. Here is Sharon at work, not settling for a 95 percent board when 100 percent was available.
After his partner had opened four spades, Buffett sportingly raised to six spades, knowing Osberg had an eight-card suit or a side card and perhaps a two-suiter, considering his great trumps.
West obligingly led the club queen — and who could blame him? Osberg won in dummy, ruffed a low heart, then played a trump to dummy, and ruffed another heart. At this point she could cross to dummy to draw the last trump and cash the heart ace. When the king fell, 13 tricks were easy, but even if it had not fallen, she would have ruffed a heart, ruffed a club, then cashed the last two hearts to pitch her second diamond and fourth club. The 13th trick hardly mattered on the score sheet; simply bidding and making slam earned her a near top. And as usual in these positions, had she simply stayed in game and made all the tricks, that too would have been worth most of the matchpoints!
ANSWER: East appears to have the diamonds well under control. On that basis since both majors appear very unattractive I would guess to lead a club, hoping to find my partner with a top club. since anything could cost a trick you might as well lead the suit with the biggest reward if you are right.
LEAD WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
Q 7 4 3 |
| ♥ |
Q 9 7 |
| ♦ |
J 4 |
| ♣ |
K J 9 3 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
|
1♣ |
| Pass |
1♥ |
Pass |
1 NT |
| Pass |
2♠ |
Pass |
2 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].
August 9th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, July 26, 2009
| Dear Mr. Wolff:
What is a safety play? Does it sacrifice a trick (like a gambit at chess), or is there a more subtle meaning?
— Safety Zone, Columbia, S.C.
ANSWER: A safety play is an imprecise term, covering two sorts of play. One (typically) is to make a play in a suit that might lose one trick in total to ensure not losing two. This is done even when there is a chance of playing a line that might lose no tricks. The second sort of safety play involves playing a suit to guard against a bad break, even when your play does not risk losing an extra trick.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
My new partner, who was first to speak with ♠ A-9-7-4-3-2, ♥ 6, ♦ —, ♣ K-J-7-6-3-2, opened two spades. Of course I held a spade void and passed, and though my partner played incredibly well to get 10 tricks, it was a near bottom since we could have made five or even six clubs. I maintained that the best opening call would be pass. What do you think?
— A Nonspeaking Role, Olympia, Wash.
ANSWER: Curiously, with the suits reversed, I do have a little sympathy with a two-spade bid, but this is very much the wrong holding in spades on which to pre-empt (defense but no intermediates) and you cannot afford not to get the clubs in. As you say, it is best to pass and show your hand on the next round.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
Can you tell me what I should do when my partner hesitates after the opponents pre-empt? Must I pass or can I bid when I have a clear action?
— Jerky Tempo, Dallas, Texas
ANSWER: There are two issues here. The first is that the pre-empter is supposed to make a skip-bid warning and your partner is supposed to pause for 10 seconds, whether or not he has a problem. The second point is that if your partner breaks tempo and obviously has a problem, your ethical obligation is to make any call that you consider clear-cut. But if there is no such action, you should avoid making any call suggested by your partner’s tempo. |
|
Dear Mr. Wolff:
My RHO opened one spade, and I held ♠ J-3-2, ♥ 9-8-6, ♦ A-K-6, ♣ A-K-Q-3. I was stuck but guessed to bid one no-trump. The opponents signed off at three hearts, allegedly because they thought I had a spade stopper. They said I broke the rules. What did I do wrong? Would I be penalized in a tournament?
— Nervous Newby, Winston-Salem, N.C.
ANSWER: Your opponents misunderstood the situation. Bidding one no-trump without a stopper is not illegal. It may be ill-judged or well-judged, but all the call says is that you have a strong balanced hand, typically with a spade stop. You can even make a call outside your range if you want to. As long as partner has no reason to expect it, you can do what you like.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
I am currently teaching an intermediate bridge class on competitive bidding. They were taught that when facing an overcall, a one-level advance is not forcing but a two-level advance is. I have always thought that both advances are constructive but not forcing. Also, can a major-suit advance of a one-diamond overcall show a four-card suit?
— On the Level, Little Rock, Ark.
ANSWER: I would teach them that an advance of a two-level overcall is almost forcing (because the overcall shows a good hand), but an advance of a one-level overcall, even by an unpassed hand, is constructive but can be passed (as the exception not the rule). Whether a new suit promises five or not is also a tough one; I’d say it shows five, but you may occasionally do it on four if pressed. |
If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, e-mail him at [email protected]. Reproduced with permission of United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Copyright 2009.
August 8th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, July 25, 2009
| Dealer: South
Vul: None |
North |
|
| ♠ |
A Q 7 |
| ♥ |
A 10 9 |
| ♦ |
A K 5 |
| ♣ |
A 9 4 3 |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
10 8 5 4 3 |
♠ |
J 9 2 |
| ♥ |
6 |
♥ |
Q 7 5 |
| ♦ |
7 3 |
♦ |
Q 9 8 6 4 |
| ♣ |
K J 7 5 2 |
♣ |
Q 10 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
K 6 |
| ♥ |
K J 8 4 3 2 |
| ♦ |
J 10 2 |
| ♣ |
8 6 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 2♥ |
Pass |
2 NT |
Pass |
| 3♦ |
Pass |
6♥ |
All Pass |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| *Medium values, poor suit. |
Opening Lead:♣5
“The cat in gloves catches no mice.”
— Benjamin Franklin
This coming week’s deals are all from the 2008 Las Vegas Summer Nationals, marking this year’s tournament in Washington.
Here is Bob Hamman at work in a slam. How would you play six hearts on a club lead? Hamman won the ace, cashed the top hearts, then took the three top spades, pitching a club. He ruffed a club, crossed to a top diamond, and ruffed another club. When he now led a trump to East’s queen, East had to play a diamond, and Hamman’s diamond loser went away. Declarer’s extra chance of finding East with three spades and fewer than three clubs had come in.
His counterpart, Jeff Aker, received the more challenging lead of the diamond seven. With one fewer entry to dummy, declarer had a choice of lines. He could have duplicated Hamman’s line (but now could cope only with a doubleton club with East, not a tripleton).
An alternative was to win the diamond ace and heart king, then play three top spades, pitching a club. He can now cash the club ace and ruff a club, play a heart to the ace, ruff a club, and exit with a trump, reaching Hamman’s position. Both lines work today, but for what it’s worth, Aker played Hamman’s line. If West had led from a doubleton diamond and had only one heart — the relevant position for the endplay to work — then he felt clubs were quite likely to be 5-2 and additionally spades might have been 6-2.
ANSWER: Sometimes it is possible to complicate matters unduly. In this auction, where you have pre-empted and thus defined your hand, a double by your partner is penalties. It may surprise you to have such good trumps on this auction, but that will be your opponents’ problem, not yours. Pass and await developments.
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
K 6 |
| ♥ |
K J 8 4 3 2 |
| ♦ |
J 10 2 |
| ♣ |
8 6 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 2♥ |
2♠ |
Dbl. |
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].
August 7th, 2009 ~ admin ~ Comments Off on The Aces on Bridge: Friday, July 24, 2009
| Dealer: East
Vul: E/W |
North |
|
| ♠ |
A Q 9 8 5 3 |
| ♥ |
K Q 7 |
| ♦ |
J 6 4 3 |
| ♣ |
— |
| West |
|
East |
| ♠ |
K 10 7 |
♠ |
4 2 |
| ♥ |
6 |
♥ |
10 4 3 |
| ♦ |
A Q 8 7 5 2 |
♦ |
K |
| ♣ |
K Q 9 |
♣ |
A 8 7 6 5 3 2 |
| |
South |
|
| ♠ |
J 6 |
| ♥ |
A J 9 8 5 2 |
| ♦ |
10 9 |
| ♣ |
J 10 4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
|
Pass |
| 2♥ |
3♦ |
4♥ |
All Pass |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Opening Lead:♣K
“Too late, too late! Ye cannot enter now!”
— Alfred Lord Tennyson
In four hearts, South ruffed the lead of the club king in dummy and paused for reflection. One slim chance for declarer would be to pin everything on the spade finesse and a 2-2 heart break. He could overtake the heart queen with the ace, take a spade finesse, cash the spade ace, ruff a spade high to establish the suit, and play a heart to dummy, hoping that would draw both outstanding trumps.
South preferred to play a diamond at trick two, which East won with the king to switch to a trump. Declarer won in the dummy and played a second diamond. West won with the queen and had no further trump to play. Whatever he did, declarer could come to six trump tricks in his hand, two club ruffs in the dummy, and the ace and queen of spades.
Curiously, when declarer played a second round of diamonds, best defense would have been for East to ruff in. He then plays his last trump, removing the last trump from dummy. Alas for the defense, look what happens to West when declarer wins in hand and plays off his trumps.
In the six-card ending, South leads out his penultimate trump, his other four cards being two spades and two clubs. Dummy has four spades and two diamonds. West must keep three spades and also two diamonds to prevent that suit from being ruffed out, and so must pitch his club. Declarer’s J-10 of clubs can be built into a trick, and the spade finesse sees him home.
ANSWER: If you want to invite, you could transfer to hearts and raise yourself to three hearts. But your intermediates along with your seven HCP plus two for the long suit argue for driving to game. Depending on your methods, you would either jump to four diamonds (I’m a Texan, so you’d expect me to use Texas Transfers) or transfer to two hearts, then jump to game. Beware; some play the latter sequence as a slam try!
BID WITH THE ACES
South Holds:
| ♠ |
J 6 |
| ♥ |
A J 9 8 5 2 |
| ♦ |
10 9 |
| ♣ |
J 10 4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| |
|
1 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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