Hand of the day #566
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: ♦K
Today's deal illustrates what to an experienced bridge player is a rather unlikely theme because it runs counter to the idea of what a squeeze is. Simply put, if you guard one suit and your partner another suit, neither of you should be squeezed. If you each have to guard a third suit, you can understand a squeeze might operate – but if there are only two danger suits, and two of you to look after those suits, how can any pressure be brought to bear? Watch and learn!
Against four hearts West began by playing off his three top diamonds, eliminating that suit as a source of pressure for declarer. Declarer ruffed the third diamond and played a trump. East took the second trump and sensibly exited with the club two, giving nothing away.
Declarer won this in hand and simply ran his trump, reducing to a position where dummy had ace-third of spades and two small clubs, while declarer had three spades, a trump and the master club.
When South led his last trump, West had to keep the spades guarded and so pitched down to one club, while a spade was discarded from dummy. Now East had to throw a spade to keep control of the clubs. Reading the position, South (who knew West had the spade queen because of East’s pass in response to his partner’s opening bid) led the spade jack, covered all around. The fall of the 10-9 of spades meant declarer’s hand was now high.
Bid with the aces
Answer: 1♥
It is tempting to double and then bid hearts, and this plan will work fine if the opponents do not intervene and deprive you of the chance to describe your hand efficiently; but they may well do so. The hand is at the absolute top of the range for a one-heart overcall, but that would be my choice. Beef up the hearts by adding the 10, and you might double.
This Hand of the Day was originally published on aces.bridgeblogging.com.
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DOUBLE I was taught all big hands begin with a double and then a bid of my own suit shows the high HCPS