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: ♠10
As Dutch expert Onno Eskes wrote, when discussing the bridge ability of computers, they prefer clear problems; so slams are easier for them than partscores. Have a look at our computer, GIB, tackling six no-trump.
You win the spade lead in dummy, play the diamond king to find the surprising news, then lead the club king, ducked all around, and now carefully cash both top hearts to remove West’s exit card. Next you play a second club, won by West, who exits in spades.
You have 12 tricks now, but watch what happens when you run the clubs; on the last one you have to pitch a diamond off dummy, but which one? It cannot be the diamond seven, because after finessing the 10, you’d be stuck in dummy. The 10 does not work either, because West will cover the nine, and his eight will score the setting trick.
So let’s go back to the situation after trick seven. West has just scored the club ace and returns a spade. GIB plays dummy’s king and overtakes with the ace! He then runs the clubs, and the last one squeezes West, who is down to four diamonds and the spade queen.
West clearly cannot spare a diamond, lest the leader pitches dummy’s losing spade and leads the diamond nine, making four diamond tricks. So he throws his master spade, and now the diamond seven is pitched from dummy, the diamond finesse is taken, and declarer comes back to hand with his spade six for a second diamond finesse.
Bid with the aces
Answer: 3♣
Your partner's auction suggests extras, with club and heart length. (If he was balanced and minimum with four hearts, he would not have competed over two diamonds.) You needn't panic and pass two hearts just because you have no clear way forward. Revert to three clubs and let your partner move on if he wants to. Three diamonds would be the best forward-going move, if you decide to cooperate.
This Hand of the Day was originally published on aces.bridgeblogging.com.
If you’re a BBO+ member, you can now play the Hand of the Day directly on BBO as part of your membership benefits.
Go to the BBO+ section, select BBO+ Games and Events, then click Play Today’s Deal to give it a try and compare your result with the players featured in the article.
