Hand of the day #729
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
How should you play your heart game when West leads the diamond queen to dummy's ace?
If you can force the defenders to open up spades for you, you hold your losers in that suit to one. To that end, you should aim to eliminate the red suits and exit in clubs. Suppose you cross to a trump at trick two, ruff your remaining diamond, and play ace and another club. Today East could win the second club with the jack, play a spade to the queen, win the third club with the king, and send another spade through. That would be one down.
To prevent East from gaining the lead twice in clubs, you must make the first club lead from dummy, intending to insert the club 10. If West (who cannot attack spades effectively) wins and returns a club, you will win with the ace and exit in clubs, forcing the defenders to play spades or concede a ruff-sluff.
What if East plays the club jack on the first round? You win with the club ace, cross to a trump, and lead toward your club 10. If East ducks, you will play the club 10 to duck the trick into the safe hand. Suppose instead that East rises with the club king and switches to a spade, West winning with the queen. West can now cash the club queen but must then lead into your spade tenace. The contract is safe unless East happens to hold all three missing club honors.
Lead with the aces
Answer: ♥9
In situations of this sort, one tends to look for the lead least likely to cost a trick. The stand-out choice is the heart nine, since it is as likely to hit partner's suit as anything else, but also — by virtue of being a lead from a sequence — it is relatively safe.
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.
