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The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff

Opening Lead: ♦K

This week's deals all come from the Cavendish tournament and feature points of technical interest in the play.

This deal might look like a simple defensive problem against three no-trump — just the five tricks hinge on the play to trick two! For example, at one table Zia Mahmood reached three no-trump against the Sanborns, having bid spades twice. Steve Sanborn led the diamond king (showing three of the top four honors in the suit, and requesting an unblock or a count signal). Kerri Sanborn showed an odd number of diamonds, helping her partner know that declarer had the guarded diamond queen left.

Still, West did not know whether to shift to spades or hearts to put his partner on lead for the diamond through. After much thought he shifted to hearts and declarer claimed his 10 tricks.

By contrast, Larry Cohen was on lead after a slightly different auction in which South had opened one spade and had rebid two no-trump. Although he had the option of leading the diamond king for an unblock, he decided that South was bound to have the guarded diamond queen. Therefore he led the diamond ace (which asked for attitude and was not an unblock request).

Now David Berkowitz’s diamond eight was suit preference for a spade — a great hand for his methods. Cohen shifted to a spade, East went back to diamonds, and the defenders cashed out the spades for down four.

Bid with the aces

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

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