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The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff

Opening Lead: ♣3

Despite their natural disappointment at failing to reach the final, the French women made no mistake in the play-off for the bronze. They were in sparkling form, as this little gem by Veronique Bessis and Catherine D'Ovidio illustrates.

One could discuss at length what South should do when North doubles four hearts for takeout. Admittedly the South hand is very balanced and the spade suit bad, but with four hearts being stone cold, bidding four spades was certainly the right thing to do in this deal.

Against four spades West led her singleton club, and declarer won in hand and played three rounds of diamonds. West ruffed in with the spade five, and declarer discarded dummy’s heart.

Now West played the heart ace, and declarer ruffed in dummy and played a spade, West winning with the king and exiting with a heart. Declarer had to ruff, but now if she played a spade, West would win and cash a heart trick, so she played a club to her ace. West ruffed in yet again, this time with the spade ace, and played a third heart. As declarer ruffed in dummy, East discarded her remaining club. Since dummy was down to nothing but clubs, when declarer led one from the board, East was able to ruff in and defeat the contract.

Incidentally, declarer can get home by playing on clubs after ruffing the first heart. West ruffs and plays a heart, but declarer ruffs in dummy and plays another club.

Bid with the aces

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

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