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The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff
Opening Lead: ♥Q
With 26 high-card points and no substantial trump suit, North-South should reach the no-trump game. South's two-no-trump rebid indicates an 18-19 count, and now North has more than enough to continue to game. He could explore for a 5-3 spade fit, but it looks so much better for South to be declarer here that he might as well simply drive to the no-trump game.
Against this contract West leads the heart queen. Declarer can either win or duck the trick, but when he gains the lead, he should know that success or failure in three no-trump will hinge on the play of the spade suit. What are the options?
Since the club suit provides too remote a chance for extra tricks, declarer must attempt to take four spade tricks, and there are no side entries to dummy. By ducking the first spade trick completely, then leading a spade to the ace when he regains the lead, South will garner the necessary tricks if the spades divide 3-3 or if either opponent holds a doubleton queen. This line of play gives a better chance than any other method of managing the spade suit, since the chance of a 3-3 break or the queen coming down in two rounds is approximately 50 percent. By finessing first and then cashing the ace and king, you would hold yourself to at most three spade tricks unless the suit breaks 3-3, and that happens only one third of the time.
Bid with the aces
Answer: Pass
When our side has bid hearts and theirs spades, it makes sense to me for your partner's call of four clubs to show hearts and clubs — in order to help with the decision over the almost inevitable call of four spades. On this occasion, your clubs are good but your trumps feeble, and you have soft cards in the other two suits, thus no idea what to do. When you don't know what to do, pass and let partner decide.
This Hand of the Day was originally published on aces.bridgeblogging.com.
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