Hand of the day #358
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The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff
In the women’s knockout, both tables reached today’s diamond slam. Not surprisingly, neither West found the killing trump lead.
Opening Lead: ♣3
At one table Sandra Rimstedt of Sweden took an early ruffing spade finesse, which lost. She subsequently ruffed one spade in dummy to pitch her second spade on the top heart, conceding down one when trumps did not behave.
Sylvie Willard of France guessed better. She won the heart lead and took an immediate spade finesse. She then arranged to ruff two spades in dummy. When they split, she had more than enough trumps and entries to come back to hand and run the top trumps, then play on spades for 12 tricks.
This line was successful, gaining 17 IMPs, but was it best? In the Rosenblum Teams event, where the same boards were in play, both declarers in the match between Zimmerman and Camberos made the slam on a club lead. They won, took the spade ace, and played to ruff two spades in dummy and two clubs in hand. Then they played on trumps, and when the bad diamond break came to light, they cashed the two top hearts, ruffed a heart, and thus scored their last small trump en passant.
This line is better than taking just one spade ruff in dummy (it loses only to spades 5-2 with the short hand having the diamond jack). And it has the merit of being successful, too!
Lead with the aces
Answer: Lead a trump
The most likely way declarer will score tricks here is on a crossruff. Lead a trump and plan to continue the suit unless it becomes clear that you need to cash out.
This Hand of the Day was originally published on aces.bridgeblogging.com.
I would lead 8 Ds, a singleton is rarely any good in a game contract.