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The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff

Opening Lead: ♥K

Some ruffing-finesse deals offer you an extra-chance play in the same suit. When today's deal arose, declarer looked no further than the ruffing finesse without trying to combine his chances, and duly tumbled to defeat.

Would you have done better? Cover the East and West cards, and plan how you would play the spade slam when West leads the heart king.

The original declarer saw that a successful ruffing finesse in clubs would allow him to dispose of his heart loser. He won the heart lead, crossed to the spade ace, and cashed the club ace. He then returned to dummy with a trump and ran the club queen, throwing the heart loser from his hand. West won with the club king, and rather than trying to cash a heart — which would have been fatal to the defense — returned a diamond to his partner’s ace, to put the slam one down.

Declarer had missed his extra chance namely that West might hold a doubleton club king (which was a greater possibility than normal, with six hearts in his hand). After winning the heart lead, you should play a club to the ace. You return to dummy with the spade eight and ruff a club high, just in case West began with a doubleton club king. If the king does not appear, you cross to the spade 10 and take the ruffing finesse in clubs. (This is a far better chance than playing West for club K-x-x.)

Bid with the aces

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

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