Hand of the day #359
You can now play the hand of the day on BBO+ and compare how you get on with the...
You can now play the hand of the day on BBO+ and compare how you get on with the players in the article.
The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff
Opening Lead: ♥K
In today's deal, North-South get to an excellent slam. (Indeed, South could not be blamed too much for looking for a grand slam.) How would you play six spades on the lead of a top heart?
Best is to win in dummy and ruff a heart immediately. (If you don’t do this, there are some lies of the cards where you will find it hard to get this ruff in). Next, cash the three top trumps to leave East with the master trump. Now you would appear to need the diamond finesse for your contract. But if it is working, you can always take it later. Why not delay awhile and cash your winners to see what happens?
Instead, play four rounds of clubs. If East follows suit, as here, or if he discards a diamond on the fourth club, you cross back to hand with the diamond ace and have reduced to an ending where East is down to two diamonds and his master trump. You exit with your losing trump, forcing East to lead away from his diamond queen into the K-J in dummy. If East ruffs in, he must again lead into dummy’s diamond tenace and concede the rest of the tricks, unless he possesses a third heart and three clubs (unlikely after his echo in hearts at trick one). Then he would be able to ruff the club and exit with his heart. Now you would have no choice but to take the diamond finesse.
Bid with the aces
Answer: 4♣
With a minimum hand in high cards, you nonetheless have a spectacular hand for diamonds. (Partner has shown game-forcing values and five-plus diamonds.) Your plan should be to cuebid four clubs now, hoping to get a heart cuebid in later, or bid three hearts right now. That is initially a stopper for no-trump, but when you bid four clubs next, partner should get the message.
This Hand of the Day was originally published on aces.bridgeblogging.com.
You can now play the hand of the day on BBO+ and compare how you get on with the players in the article.
