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The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff
Opening Lead: ♠6
I believe that one can survive pretty well without most of the gadgets that adorn the convention card of today's expert. But I'll grudgingly make an exception for the Smith Echo, an idea that has been around for 50 years. The idea is that at no-trump after the opening trick is won by declarer, the defenders' first signal (in a suit where giving count is irrelevant) signals attitude with regard to the initial suit. The most effective approach is to use the echo by the opening leader as a positive request for third hand to shift, but by third hand it indicates extras in the led suit.
In this deal from a national Board-a-Match Teams, three no-trump made 90 percent of the time it was attempted by South. Declarer’s best practical play on the spade-six lead is to hop up with dummy’s queen. Then the defense is likely to continue attacking spades when they get in. But declarer made what in practice, if not in theory, was a slight slip, when he played low from dummy at trick one and East put in the spade 10 to force the jack.
Now declarer led a club to the ace, and West signaled with the club six — Reverse Smith — asking for the shift that in context had to be to diamonds. East obediently led the diamond five to the queen and king, and West went back to spades. East took the spade ace and reverted to diamonds — hey, presto, down one!
Bid with the aces
Answer: 2♣
There are some people who would encourage you to rebid one no-trump, using that call to show a minimum balanced hand, (A call of two clubs would promise extra shape or high cards, or both.) Do not listen to them; the natural and correct way to develop this hand is to bid two clubs, showing your shape, but not guaranteeing any extras.
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.