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The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff
Opening Lead: ♦7
Today's deal, from the Nail Life Master Pairs in San Francisco, demonstrates that par in bridge terms and the result achieved at the table are often far removed from each other.
Wafik Abdou was in the hot seat as East, defending three hearts after a revealing auction. Abdou’s partner led a low diamond and Abdou won the ace and could infer that declarer rated to hold five hearts and a doubleton club, with a likely pattern of 5-3-3-2. The fact that his partner had not led a club was also a hint that the suit was likely to be distributed 7-2-2-2 around the table.
There is technically no defense to three hearts, but Abdou went for his best chance when he won the diamond lead and shifted to the spade king. Declarer won and took the club finesse, smoothly ducked by Abdou. Declarer now guessed well by playing the heart ace and heart king, dropping West’s queen. However, when declarer repeated the club finesse, Abdou won, cashed his spade queen, then reverted to diamonds. Declarer had to ruff in dummy and now was locked there with just clubs to lead. When he played a club, Abdou ruffed in. Declarer was able to overruff, but was still left with two diamond losers for down one. Plus 50 was good for 24 out of 38 matchpoints, whereas making 140 would have been close to a top for North-South.
Bid with the aces
Answer: 4♠
Your partner has issued an invitational sequence, and although you have a minimum in high cards, you have a real fit, plus quick tricks. Imagine partner with six spades to the king-queen and with A-Q-third of clubs, for example. You would want to be in four spades — and game is likely to be no worse than relying on the heart finesse, whatever he has.
This Hand of the Day was originally published on aces.bridgeblogging.com.
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