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The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff

Opening Lead: You decide!

The Cavendish Pairs has traditionally been run as a five-session event in which every pair plays each of the other pairs. But the 1999 Cavendish featured the experiment of dividing the pool into a final event and consolation event after the first two days, followed by a one-day final. Three pairs were fighting it out for the big prize with a couple of rounds to go, and one of those three was Billy Cohen and Ron Smith. However, with a couple of rounds to go, Smith and Cohen dropped out of contention — and this board cost them blood.

Kerri and Steve Sanborn play a hyperaggressive style of pre-empting, hence Steve’s choice of opening. Cohen might have contented himself with a call of three spades, but when he jumped to four spades, that persuaded his partner to look for slam. The two cue-bids did not drive the partnership completely overboard, but it did get them to a dangerous spot.

The success of the contract would hinge on the opening lead, and there is scarcely a more attractive lead than a singleton in partner’s suit, but Kerri had been listening to the auction, and — more importantly — she knew her spade trick would not run away. She unerringly led a heart, and the defense cashed their two heart tricks and had an inevitable trump winner to come to defeat the contract and hand their opponents a crushing blow.

Bid with the aces

This Hand of the Day was originally published on aces.bridgeblogging.com.

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