Hand of the day #368
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The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff
Opening Lead: ♥K
Today's deal comes from the bulletins of a U.S. Nationals.
Both Souths reached four spades doubled, with the minority of high cards, after each of the North and South players had taken aggressive positions in the auction. After the lead of the heart king, both Souths took an immediate spade finesse. The unsuccessful declarer drew three rounds of trumps and ducked a club to East. But now two rounds of diamonds prevented declarer from establishing the club suit.
The successful, more fortunate, declarer played a second trump to hand and ducked a club to East, who exited with the third trump. Now declarer simply ducked a club and claimed. But the defense here could also have prevailed by playing two rounds of diamonds. Declarer then ruffs a heart to hand, but when he leads a club toward dummy, West can defeat the contract by rising with the club king! This maneuver is often referred to as a crocodile coup since you open your jaws and swallow your partner’s honor. If declarer ducks this, the defense takes a club ruff, and if declarer wins the trick, he no longer has an entry to the clubs.
Declarer could perhaps have done better by winning the second trump in dummy at trick three and playing a low club from the table. If East hops up with the queen, he beats the contract. But if he ducks, the crocodile no longer works for the defense.
Bid with the aces
Answer: 1♠
Even though your RHO has suggested a four-card spade suit, your intermediates look good enough for an advance with a call of one spade. In auctions of this sort, you are not necessarily trying for game when you bid, just looking for your side's best fit and trying to compete efficiently.
This Hand of the Day was originally published on aces.bridgeblogging.com.
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hand of the day.....win the Ah and ruf a heart, duck a club. if they tap dummy with a D, ruff last heart,
another D ruff Ac spade hook and ruff last diamond. exit with a club and claim. key is to SHORTEN declarer's trumps.