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The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff
Opening Lead: ♣K
In today's deal North's three-diamond cue-bid showed a spade raise. Later, when South made a forcing pass of five clubs, North's five-diamond call showed the diamond ace and suggested slam interest. That was all South needed to take a shot at the spade slam.
On the top-club lead declarer realized he was short of intermediates in the diamond suit, but he appreciated the significance of the fact that West was a Scotsman. The diamond nine, traditionally known as the Curse of Scotland, would play a n important part in South’s plans.
South won the club lead in hand and drew trump in two rounds, ending in dummy, then ruffed a club, cashed the three top hearts, and ruffed a heart. He now had three diamonds and two trumps in each hand, with the lead in North.
Declarer called for a low diamond from dummy, and when East played low, he put in the diamond nine, endplaying West either to lead a diamond back around to South’s queen, or to give him a ruff and discard, whereupon the diamond loser would go away. It would have done East no good to hop up with his diamond 10 on the first round (though this is the best defense. (What if the diamond nine and eight were switched?). Had East gone up with the 10, South would have covered with the queen, and his possession of the diamond nine would have brought about an identical endplay on West.
Bid with the aces
Answer: 4NT
Here a jump to four no-trump is unusual, suggesting this pattern and approximately these values. You may not be able to make game, or you may be cold for slam, but you don't have to decide that. Let your partner make the decision on where to play and at what level, once you have told him what you have.
This Hand of the Day was originally published on aces.bridgeblogging.com.
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After spades - club ruff- Heart rough - play diamond from dummy and play dim 9 - he takes the jack and is end played.