Hand of the day #129

The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff


In today’s deal from the Dyspeptics Club, neither North nor South did anything unreasonable to reach a thin game, but it would have required South to find a good play to bring home 10 tricks. Maybe North was optimistic in accepting South’s invitation to game with such bad trumps and a possibly wasted club holding.

Opening Lead: ♣K

Defending to four spades, West cashed two top clubs, then paused for some while, trying to remember if East had echoed in clubs. Eventually he played a third club. Declarer ruffed in dummy and saw the danger of taking a trump finesse. If the cards lay as they actually did, West could win and lead a fourth club, letting East promote a trump trick for his partner by ruffing with his spade nine.

So South played the ace and queen of spades, a good try but not good enough. West won his king and switched to a heart. Declarer tried to ruff the third heart back to hand, but West could overruff for down one.

North is generally South’s sternest critic, but even he was hard-pressed to berate South too sternly on this occasion. Nonetheless, South had gone halfway down the road to success. It was a pity that he had not worked out that he needed to cash the two top hearts before playing the ace and queen of spades. That way, West must put declarer back in hand to draw the last trump, and the contract comes home.


Bid with the aces

This Hand of the Day was originally published on aces.bridgeblogging.com.

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One comment on “Hand of the day #129”

  1. As for at least 40% of the hands I disagree!
    In particular "Since your side should have half the deck, it is reasonable to bid" absolutely not! why not pass??

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