The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff
Opening Lead: ♥4
Where you have eight tricks in three no-trump, there is usually a way to find a ninth. Today's deal was well-played by Nevena Senior in the round of 16 knockout match against Singapore in the World Mind Sports Games years ago. Cover up the East and West hands and give it a try yourself before reading on.
Not surprisingly, the heart four was led at both tables. The Singaporean declarer did not really make much of an attempt to make her game. She won the heart king, crossed to hand with a club, and led the spade jack. When West covered with the king, she ducked, but now the defenders were not hard-pressed to know what to do next.
By contrast, Senior won the heart lead in hand and immediately played the spade jack. When West covered with the king, she won dummy’s ace and ran her club winners. West discarded a diamond easily, but on the last club had to discard a spade. Nevena now cashed the spade queen and exited with a heart. West cashed her four heart tricks, but then had to lead a diamond and it was easy for Senior to guess the position.
In the same position the player sitting West for the U.S. produced a sparkling defensive resource. On the last club he discarded down to the bare diamond king. Now when declarer cashed the spade queen and threw him in with a heart, he had a spade winner to cash.
Bid with the aces
Answer: Double
Although you have no more than two likely tricks on defense, you have a hand where the opponents should not be making overtricks, and you would certainly not expect five spades to have any chance to make. So double, expecting that this will end the auction.
This Hand of the Day was originally published on aces.bridgeblogging.com.
