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: ♠3

There is no easy answer as to what plan South should have followed here, but his leap to six hearts was precipitous and perhaps an overbid. But how would you play the slam when West leads the spade three and East covers dummy's spade 10 with the jack?

At the table declarer won with the spade ace and drew trump in four rounds. With only one entry to dummy outside the diamond suit (the club ace), it seemed that he would need a 3-3 diamond break to make the contract. Declarer played ace, king and another diamond and shrugged his shoulders when East showed out on the third round. He ruffed in his hand and could do nothing but finesse the club queen. Had the finesse worked, he could have ruffed out the diamonds successfully. However, East produced the club king and cashed the spade king for one down.

Can you see how declarer should have made the contract? When the diamond queen and 10 fall on the first two rounds, dummy’s 9-7 have become equals against West’s J-6. All declarer needs to do is to lead the diamond nine and let it run, discarding his spade loser.

West wins with the jack and returns a club, but declarer can win with the club ace in dummy and throw his two club losers on the diamonds.

(Yes, a club lead would have beaten the slam, but I don’t ever want to play against anyone who could find that!)

Lead with the aces

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.

Click here to play earlier Hands of the day ▶