Hand of the day #370
You can now play the hand of the day on BBO+ and compare how you get on with the...
You can now play the hand of the day on BBO+ and compare how you get on with the players in the article.
The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff
Opening Lead: ♦Q
After seeing dummy, on the auction shown, would you think your next move might be critical? If not, give the problem a couple of extra seconds' thought!
The hand is from the Individual at the 1st World Mind Sports Games, held in Beijing, where Pairs scoring was in use.
First, let’s see the action at the table where Gay Keaveney of Ireland was partnering Bob Hamman of the USA. Hamman had no easy way to get his values across, but decided to treat his hand as invitational, banking on his three black honors to be working overtime, and treating his spades as a three-card suit. Had this been teams, Keaveney would have bid the spade game, but at matchpoints he preferred to be circumspect and try to insure a plus score.
Against three spades West led the diamond queen; East rose with the ace and returned a diamond. Keaveney played his king, cashed the club ace and king and got off play with a third club. The trump return from East came too late. South could not now be prevented from ruffing his fourth club in dummy and coming to 10 tricks, losing just two diamonds and a club.
It was Patrick Huang of Chinese Taipei who found the defense to beat four spades. On winning the first trick with the diamond ace, he recognized the danger and switched to a trump, and continued with a second trump when in with a club. That killed the club ruff and set the game.
Bid with the aces
Answer: 3♣
Your partner's two-club call shows spade support and at least the values for a raise to three spades (perhaps starting at a good 10-count with three trumps). Your nice trumps and extra shape coupled with good controls suggest you have enough for a try for game. A bid of three clubs should show your side-suit and get partner to evaluate his club length.
This Hand of the Day was originally published on aces.bridgeblogging.com.
You can now play the hand of the day on BBO+ and compare how you get on with the players in the article.