Bookworm Bridge Conundrums #15
This conundrum was written by Barbara Seagram and David Bird and was o...
The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff
Alarm bells should start ringing when the defense does not follow what appears to be its natural course. They certainly did for Yuko Yamada, in Japan’s Venice Cup encounter against China at the 2001 World Championships.
Opening Lead: ♣K
Yamada had deprived her partner of the chance to double 3♣ by her quite reasonable decision to bid to 3♠ in direct seat, but she caught a disappointing dummy. That does not mean her decision was a bad one. Had she faced four small clubs and the ♠K, both partscores might have been odds-on to make.
West made her natural lead of the ♣K, and on seeing dummy, switched to a low heart, East’s jack drawing the king. Yamada played ace and another diamond to the 10 and queen. West’s ♥Q continuation was taken by the ace. Then the J♦ was covered by the king, ruffed in dummy with the eight, and overruffed.
East returned a heart to her partner’s 10, and West appreciated that if she played another diamond, it was quite possible East would be unable to overruff dummy’s trump 10. So instead she led the 13th heart, but by not following the natural line of a fourth diamond, she gave away the location of the ♠K just as effectively.
Yuko Yamada ruffed the heart in hand, and now knew that her only chance was to find the spade king bare with West. She laid down the ace and secured her contract.
Bid with the Aces
Answer: 3♦
You are fractionally too good just to bid 3♠, which would be competitive and NOT a game-try. Although it looks logical to bid where you live (hearts), it is better to use the red suits as game-tries. By bidding 3♦, you suggest length but not strength in that suit, and will get partner to evaluate his diamond holding, which is what you want.
This Hand of the Day was originally published on aces.bridgeblogging.com.
