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The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff

Opening Lead: ♠7

From the final of the mixed teams at the European open championships comes today's deal. It occurred in a match between French and Dutch teams.

In one room, playing a system far removed from the standard strong no-trump and five-card majors, the French East opened a very weak no-trump. One no-trump doubled would not have been much fun, but North ended up in two hearts. Against that contract Benedicte Cronier (East) cashed two high clubs and gave Pierre Zimmermann a ruff. He exited with a low diamond, which ran to dummy’s queen. The heart jack went to Cronier’s king, and she played a fourth round of clubs, allowing Zimmermann to ruff. Declarer, Anton Maas, overruffed, later conceding a diamond for plus 110.

Catherine D’Ovidio and Philippe Cronier got to game at the other table, on the auction shown. Against that contract Ton Bakkeren started with a low spade, taken in dummy with the ace. D’Ovidio innocently played a low club from dummy, and Carla Arnolds erred by playing low. Had she won the king and continued with a spade, the timing would have been right to defeat the contract. When she played low, D’Ovidio won and played the heart jack, ducked by Arnolds. Another heart went to the queen and king. D’Ovidio took the spade switch in hand and led a diamond. West ducked, and the diamond king held. D’Ovidio had four hearts, three spades and a trick in each minor for plus 400 and a 7-IMP gain.

Bid with the aces

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

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