Hand of the day #558
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: ♥10
What would you do with the South cards after a one-heart opening to your right?
In one room the Bulgarian South overcalled one no-trump, and that got his side to the no-trump game.
Against three no-trump West led the heart 10 to the queen and declarer misguessed diamonds, playing low to the king and ace, because he needed his RHO to have the club king and spade queen if he was going to make his game. Back came a heart and South won and cashed one top spade before leading a second diamond. West rose with the queen and the defense cashed three hearts before East exited with a spade, trying to talk South out of the finesse. It didn’t work, and declarer claimed the rest for down one.
In our featured room four spades received the same lead of the heart 10. Declarer, Louk Verhees, won cheaply, cashed one top spade, crossed to the club ace, played a low spade to the 10, drew the last trump, and guessed well in diamonds by playing low to the nine and ace. The defense could cash two clubs, but Verhees finished with 10 tricks for plus 620.
Declarer’s play in diamonds was based on the idea that if the club king was right, he did not mind losing two diamonds; if it was wrong, then this play in the diamond suit was the one most likely to hold his losers to one, since if West had the club king, East surely had the diamond ace.
Bid with the aces
Answer: 4♣
Your partner has shown a strong hand, typically with four hearts and five-plus clubs. (Assuming you use four-suit transfers, then with a weak or strong hand and just clubs, your partner would transfer into clubs and not use Stayman.) Despite your minimum hand, it feels right simply to raise clubs and hope partner has a diamond control — in which case he will show it, and you are off to the races!
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.
