Hand of the day #211
The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff This column aims to amuse, as well as to educa...
The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff
Lacking an invitational call (double would be for penalty), North took a shot at four hearts after West’s three-diamond intervention.
Opening Lead: ♣Q
He reasoned that even if this got them too high, East might save the day by bidding on. As it was, everyone passed and West tabled his singleton club queen.
Declarer, Barry Rigal, saw three top losers. However, West was a heavy favorite to hold six diamonds for his three-level overcall, vulnerable, in which case East was due a diamond ruff. If East won the first trick, he would shift to diamonds, making it easy to find said ruff.
Rigal devised a plan to make life hard for the opponents… he ducked in dummy at trick one! East did not overtake, after which it was tough for West to find the necessary defense. He switched to the spade jack and now the diamond ruff was lost; declarer was quick to draw trump. It could be argued that East-West already lost the board in the bidding (four spades is makable), but they ought to have beaten four hearts. East might reason that declarer had not covered the club queen because he wanted to keep East off lead. Whatever is bad for declarer is good for the defense. Thus, East may have worked out to overtake and put his diamond on the table.
Bid with the Aces
Answer: Lead ♦10
Partner is short in clubs and probably does not have four spades. He would have bid one heart with five of them, so that leaves four or five diamonds. Lead his suit. A spade lead could easily blow a trick or a tempo.