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The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff

Opening Lead: ♦K

The final deal from European Open Championships was played by Vitas Vainikonis in four hearts. Consider it first as a single-dummy problem. You sit South, and no doubt when dummy comes down, you regret not doubling four diamonds. But you have to make the best of the spot you are in.

The good news is that when the defenders lead three rounds of diamonds, West has six and East can only ruff in with the heart six, not the jack. You overruff and draw the remaining trumps in two rounds. Now what?

You know that West has six diamonds and two hearts together with very short spades. The auction strongly suggests that he has five clubs, given East’s revealing pre-empt. So East has only two clubs, making the club finesse unnecessary — if East has the club queen, it is dropping.

Therefore, you cash the club ace and king, then lead a spade to the jack; East must duck his ace or it falls on empty air. Next you lead a spade to the king, and East must duck a second time, since if he wins he is immediately endplayed. With only spades left, he will have to play into the tenace.

But now you exit with a club. When West wins the club queen, he must give you a ruff and discard with the lead of one minor or the other, and your last spade goes away. Contract made!

Bid with the aces

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

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