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The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff

Opening Lead: ♦K

Timing the play to take advantage of all possibilities can be very difficult. Today's deal defeated one of the best declarers in the country (who shall remain nameless).

Against four spades West led the diamond ace and king, then switched to the club four. Declarer won in the dummy and took a spade finesse. When that was wrong and clubs failed to break 3-3, he had to go one down.

Can you see how he could have done better?

Since he needed one of the major-suit finesses for certain, he should have won the club in hand and run the heart queen. In practice West would have covered with the king (it doesn’t help him to duck), and declarer wins with dummy’s ace. Only now does declarer play a spade to the queen. West wins and no doubt continues with another club. Declarer wins in dummy, draws trump, then cashes the heart jack and crosses to the club king. If clubs are 3-3, he has no more losers. He can ruff a heart, cash his long club, and ruff a diamond with dummy’s last trump.

However, when clubs fail to break, he can take a ruffing heart finesse. The king and 10 have gone and East just has the nine poised over dummy’s eight-seven. This finesse is certain to succeed because declarer knows that West started with two spades, four clubs, five diamonds (for his overcall) and therefore only two hearts, both of which have been played.

Bid with the aces

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

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