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
In this deal from the IMP Pairs at the world championships in Philadelphia, Steve Hamaoui played three no-trump against the lead of the spade six, to the five, king and ace. Hamaoui cashed the club king and ran the club 10 to East, as West pitched a heart. East took the trick and played the heart king, ducked by Hamaoui, who played the heart jack from dummy, unblocking. East might have done better to switch to the diamond 10, but he persisted in hearts. Hamaoui took the heart 10 and cashed the ace, as West discarded a diamond.
Opening Lead: ♠6
Now Hamaoui played a low diamond from hand, winning the queen in dummy. He played off the club ace, and West was caught. Discarding the diamond jack would have let declarer make an overtrick. But if West discarded a spade, Hamaoui could still cash the spade and play a diamond. West would win the two diamond tricks but would still be endplayed in the spade suit, giving Hamaoui enough spade winners for his contract.
Curiously, the key defensive maneuver was for West to play the diamond jack on the first lead of the suit. If he had done so, declarer would not have been able to come up with the endplay he found. Declarer could not overtake the spade jack without conceding the setting tricks, and if he cashed the spade jack and led a diamond, East’s 10-9 would assure that he would gain the lead sooner or later to cash the setting tricks.
Bid with the aces
Answer: 1NT
Your partner’s one-spade bid should be constructive but nonforcing in competition. (Had West passed over one heart, the call is most commonly played as forcing by an unpassed hand.) Your lack of spade fit and decent club guard suggests a bid of one no-trump is the most practical action now.
This Hand of the Day was originally published on aces.bridgeblogging.com.
