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The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff
Opening Lead: ♦Q
In today's deal from the Dyspeptics Club, South had been tempted to pass North's takeout double of two diamonds, but in the end preferred to bid his chunky four-card heart suit. How would you plan the play in four hearts on a diamond lead?
At the table declarer ruffed the diamond lead in dummy, drew trump. played the three top clubs, and ruffed a club. He next played a spade to the jack, king and ace, and eventually had to go one down.
Feeling unusually contrite, South asked his partner if he might have done better. North consoled him, telling him that there was a double-dummy way he might have gone down two!
South should have seen that if hearts broke, he would have five trump tricks, three clubs and the diamond ace, so four club tricks would suffice. Instead of taking dummy’s entry out prematurely by ruffing the diamond, he should have won the opening lead with his ace, pitching a spade from dummy, drawn trump, and now played his clubs. If they had broken 3-3. he would have made an overtrick; as it was, he would ruff out the clubs and lead a spade to the king to try for an overtrick.
Even after ruffing the opening lead, he had an easy road to recovery. After drawing trump ending in hand, he should simply have ducked a club to East. He could then have won the return and cashed the four club tricks needed.
Lead with the aces
Answer: ♣ Low
If ever there was a hand where underleading an ace made sense, this is it. Dummy rates to have decent clubs while neither red suit looks safe, and a trump is impossible. Particularly as partner did not raise clubs, you won't lose your ace by underleading it.
This Hand of the Day was originally published on aces.bridgeblogging.com.
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