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: ♠8
On today's deal from the European Open Series, played in Dublin, England's David Bakhshi opened one no-trump and played in two hearts after a transfer response from his partner, Tom Townsend.
Austria’s Gunther Purkarthofer led the spade eight,, and Bakhshi won dummy’s ace, then led to the king, and continued with the queen, ruffed and overruffed. Bakhshi exited dummy with a diamond, winning the ace when Jan Fucik put in the king. A fourth spade was ruffed, West pitching a diamond, and declarer continued with a second diamond. West overtook his partner’s jack to play another diamond, ruffed by declarer’s eight. Now Bakhshi played the heart king to West’s ace, and Purkarthofer switched to the club three. The winning play is to duck, but quite reasonably Bakhshi went up with dummy’s king, losing to the ace, and East, Jan Fucik, returned the jack.
At this point, to defeat the contract, West had to overtake and allow East to win the third club, then lead his low heart to South’s bare queen. When West failed to do so, he had to win the third club himself — and now he had no choice but to lead a diamond at trick 12. When dummy ruffed with the nine, East had lost his trump trick whether he overruffed or not. Granted, the defense could have done better, but Bakhshi had pulled off that rarity, a smother play, to make his contract.
Bid with the aces
Answer: 4♥
What is this double? It may be a matter for each individual partnership, but I believe after the response of one no-trump to a major, opener's double of intervention should be takeout, responder's double should be cards. If you agree, then you should jump to four hearts, even if the double does not promise extras. Even a 12-count with a singleton diamond may leave your side with good play for game.
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.
2spaid