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The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff

Opening Lead: ♣J

Against four spades West led the club jack, which not only began to set up tricks for the defenders, but also threatened the entries to dummy. Declarer could see that he was in jeopardy of losing two tricks in each of the minors, with no particularly convenient way to establish a discard for himself.

At one table declarer decided to delay taking the club finesse leaving himself the option of playing for the doubleton club king on his right, rather than taking the club finesse immediately. He rose with the ace, drew trumps, cashed the heart ace, then played ace and another diamond. East won the diamond queen and exited with a low heart, letting declarer shake his second diamond loser. However, when the club king failed to behave, he was down a trick.

In the other room South decided to take the club finesse immediately. East did the right thing when he won the club king and returned the suit. Now declarer fell back on a finesse for his contract. Can you see which finesse? He unblocked the heart ace, then led a spade to the eight, trying to create an extra entry to dummy. When the spade eight held, he ran the heart queen to pitch his club loser.

West could win the heart ace and lead either minor, but nothing could stop South from crossing back to the spade ace and pitching one of his slow diamond losers on the heart jack for his 10th trick.

Bid with the aces

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

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