Hand of the day #242
The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff The old-fashioned textbooks tell you to lead k...
The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff
For a change, we pose a play problem with matchpoint scoring, from the Platinum Pairs in Louisville. Cover up those East-West cards and be wary of overtricks!
Opening Lead: ♣Q
A simple Stayman auction puts you in four spades on the club queen lead to East’s ace, followed by the club nine return to your king. If trumps are 3-2, you can pull them then cash diamonds. Should diamonds break 3-3 or the jack drop, you can park a club on the fourth diamond and make six, otherwise five. So, focus on maximizing your tricks when trumps are 4-1.
If West has jack-fourth spade, cashing the ace and queen will show up East’s singleton, but it will not help. You can finesse the spade 10, but that is at the expense of a heart ruff – you simply trade tricks. Playing the ace then king is no better, since if East has jack-fourth, ruffing a heart with one of dummy’s trump spots will cost a trump trick too. The only relevant 4-1 split is when the jack is singleton. Then, you must be careful to start with the spade king. When the jack falls, you cash the spade 10, heart ace-king and ruff a heart high. The spade four remains to reach your hand and draw trumps with the ace-queen, after which you run the diamonds, making 12 as the cards lie.
Look at the full deal now. If you were to start spades with the ace as many declarers in the Platinum Pairs did, you would block the trump suit and be an entry short to draw trumps after ruffing a heart. Dummy’s fourth diamond would wither on the vine, limiting you to 11 tricks.
Note that if spades are 5-0, the recommended line is still best. Three rounds of diamonds must stand up for you to succeed then, so if West has jack-fifth spade, you can run your red-suit tops, ruff a heart in dummy to strip the West hand, then play the fourth diamond for a club pitch, endplaying him to lead away from the spade jack.
Bid with the Aces
Answer: Pass
You could be making four spades, but it is likely that partner will act again if so. Avoid overbidding with balanced hands at high levels. If you had the same hand with five diamonds and one heart, you would take a shot at four spades.
i didn't understand the answer! Your indication is for 4s but then you write "You could be making four spades, but it is likely that partner will act again if so" as this answer should be uncorrect! In my opinion the correct answer is pass
Strange answer.. should you bid 4clubs or not?