The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff
Opening Lead: ♥K
What makes a bridge deal challenging? It is hard to know — although as Judge Potter Stewart eloquently put it, although in a slightly different context, I know it when I see it.
In today’s deal, though the play is limited to just two suits, there are many plausible options, and only one plan that covers almost all the bases.
Against six spades, reached after a heart pre-empt from West, the lead is the heart king to the ace. Declarer now draws trump in one round. What next? Clearly, you should play on clubs, but do you cash one honor, or both? You then finesse in clubs, but do you lead out the 10 or up to the nine?
The correct answer is “None of the above.” Declarer should now play ace and a low club. When East wins, he now has to lead a diamond. Declarer can play low, and when West has to contribute the queen, declarer can claim the rest.
Assuming West started with seven hearts then, once spades are 1-1, this plan only loses when East has queen-jack-fourth or longer in clubs and West has Q-10-x or longer in diamonds — when no reasonable plan succeeds.
For example, if West wins a club honor and returns the suit, declarer goes up with dummy’s king. If West still has a club honor left, then he has only one diamond, so the diamond finesse is sure to win. If West has a doubleton club honor, he will be endplayed on winning his club trick.
Bid with the aces
Answer: 4♠
This hand is a dead minimum for a splinter jump to four spades, showing the diamond fit and a singleton spade. You would certainly take this action if either of your queens were a king; but even as it is, the slight overbid is surely worthwhile to show the nature of your hand at one go.
This Hand of the Day was originally published on aces.bridgeblogging.com.
