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The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff
Opening Lead: ♦Q
In today's deal South plays in four hearts after West has opened one diamond. West's opening lead is the diamond queen. How should you plan the play, seeing just the North and South cards?
One declarer won the diamond lead, drew trump, and exited with king and another diamond, hoping to endplay West. This line would have been successful had diamonds broken 5-2, or had East been unable to beat dummy’s diamond spot. Alas for South, East’s possession of the diamond 10 meant that he could win the trick. He played a spade through and declarer had to go down, eventually losing two spades, a diamond and one club.
Better is to endplay West to give you a trick in the black suits. You cannot avoid a diamond loser, but losing the trick to West is very much in your interest. The way to do that is to duck the first diamond, then win the diamond continuation, draw trump, and take the club finesse.
Next, you cash all your minor-suit winners and exit withthe club ace and another club, knowing that West will win. That player is forced to lead a spade, whereupon all your worries are over, or he has to give you a ruff-sluff. If he does that, you pitch a spade from hand while ruffing in dummy.
Of course, if diamonds break 6-1 and West had the doubleton or singleton club king, you would have to prepare your own excuses — or blame me. My shoulders are broad.
Lead with the aces
Answer: ♥ Lead
Partner's failure to support hearts means he is probably short in the suit. That doesn't in and of itself mean the lead will cost a trick though — and it may be that the trick will come back one way or another. The other choice is to lead a spade — but here the risk of losing a trick with no return is too high. On balance, I will lead a heart. But you could certainly tempt me to lead a club if my holding were J-10.
This Hand of the Day was originally published on aces.bridgeblogging.com.
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