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The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff
Opening Lead: ♠K
In today's deal when South heard his partner force to game with the two-club call, then raise hearts, he cue-bid the spade ace, then opted for simplicity by using Blackwood at his next turn, driving to the grand slam in hearts.
The hand was easier to bid than to play. After a spade lead South should win the spade ace and decide which bad breaks he can cope with. The best path looks to be to cash the diamond ace, then the heart king and queen, followed by the diamond king and queen. If diamonds are 3-3, declarer has the rest by drawing the last trump and running the diamonds.
By playing on diamonds before drawing the last trump, declarer can come home when one defender has three trumps and four diamonds. Declarer ruffs the fourth diamond in dummy, then comes to hand with a trump and runs the diamonds before taking the club finesse at trick 12.
It might also succeed when the cards lie as in the diagram, where West has three trumps and two diamonds. Assuming West ruffs in on the third diamond, declarer overruffs, plays ace and another club, dropping the king, and ruffs out the diamonds, pitches his spade loser on the club queen, and his hand is high. But note that if West does not ruff the third diamond, declarer might easily go wrong. Might he not simply ruff the fourth diamond, draw the last trump ending in hand, and eventually take the club finesse?
Bid with the aces
Answer: Double
With a hand this strong you are relatively safe to double in the pass-out seat, expecting to bid diamonds when one of the other three players bids spades. You won't necessarily be showing that you have hearts as well as diamonds, but that must be a live possibility, and partner will be able to explore for the fit if necessary.
This Hand of the Day was originally published on aces.bridgeblogging.com.
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