Bookworm Bridge Conundrums #69
This conundrum was written by Julian Pottage and was originally publis...
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: ♣7
Today's deal features the match between the young USA-2 squad and Bulgaria from the Bermuda Bowl. It shows both U.S. pairs combining nicely for a gain.
Against four hearts both Wests led a small club. John Hurd realized that if the club finesse was right he really did not need to take it. He put up dummy’s club ace, won the second trick with his heart jack, and continued with the heart seven. Victor Aronov took his ace and led a small spade, declarer getting it right by playing the jack. West won the trick with his ace and shifted to the diamond 10, but declarer won the trick, played a trump, and claimed. He still had to lose a club trick when diamonds did not behave, but he had his contract.
In the other room the Bulgarian declarer played dummy’s club queen at trick one and could no longer make his contract. Justin Lall played his club king and switched to the diamond two, the only card to defeat the contract. Declarer won the trick with dummy’s queen and played a heart. Lall ducked this trick, then won the next trick with his heart ace to switch to a small spade. Seeing the ruff coming, declarer took his only legitimate chance by playing his king. Joe Grue won with his ace and returned a diamond for his partner to ruff. East now cashed the spade queen for two down.
Bid with the aces
Answer: 4♣
In competition your partner's two-heart bid shows extras. A reversion to three clubs by you would be nonforcing. With a good hand you could cuebid, but that might deny a clear direction. Here you know you want to play clubs, so jump to four clubs, which is forcing. You can cuebid later.
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.
