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The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff
Opening Lead: ♦K
Before we look at the play in today's deal, from the later stages of the Asia Pacific Bridge Games from Fukuoka, Japan, analyze the bidding problem South had. He heard his partner overcall two clubs over one diamond, and he advanced with a two-diamond cue-bid, to which his partner responded three clubs, suggesting no major and nothing to say. In one room the South player now passed — reasonable, if pessimistic — and his partner emerged with 10 tricks. So his action was well-judged, up to a point.
(Incidentally, though, another possibility for North would have been to bid three diamonds over the double of two diamonds, to suggest good clubs and no clear direction on the hand, looking for a diamond stopper for three no-trump.)
At the other table in our featured match, after Zhou Jiahong’s three-club call, Lian Yong’s three-spade bid at his second turn (normally suggesting five) gave Zhou a chance to head for the best game of four spades.
Against four spades the defenders led and continued diamonds. Declarer ruffed, advanced the spade 10 (covered all around), then ruffed a second diamond in dummy and came to the club queen to draw as many trumps as he could before running the clubs. East could ruff in whenever he wanted, but that was the defenders’ last trick.
Incidentally, had West shifted to the heart king at trick two, declarer wins the ace, leads the spade 10, and simply ducks East’s queen to retain control.
Bid with the aces
Answer: 3♥
You would like to get to three no-trump here, but rather than bid game without a spade stopper, or find yourself playing that contract the wrong way up (facing a doubleton spade-king for example), bid three hearts to show your values and let partner bid no-trump if he can.
This Hand of the Day was originally published on aces.bridgeblogging.com.
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Go to the BBO+ section, select BBO+ Games and Events, then click Play Today’s Deal to give it a try and compare your result with the players featured in the article.
