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The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff

Opening Lead: ♥K

West leads the heart king against your three-no-trump contract and persists with the suit. You win the heart ace on the third round, and with eight top tricks must aim to develop a ninth from one of the minor suits, without allowing West on lead. What is your plan?

Looking for a 3-3 break in the club suit can wait. The first priority is to seek an extra trick from the diamonds. If the suit breaks 3-3, two extra tricks will drop into your lap. Life will also be easy when East holds four diamonds, since you can concede a fourth round to the safe hand. The key situation occurs when West holds four diamonds; in that case you must aim to duck an early diamond trick to East.

At trick four, you lead the diamond nine, intending to run that card to East. Let’s suppose that West thwarts you temporarily by covering with the jack. You win the trick in dummy and return to your hand with the club king. You then lead the diamond four toward dummy. West cannot afford to rise with the 10 or you will make all five diamond tricks. He plays low and you cover with dummy’s seven, ducking the trick into the safe hand. East wins with the eight and you have ensured your contract when he follows suit. What is more, you will be spared the annoyance of finding that clubs were 3-3 all along!

Bid with the aces

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

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