The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff
Opening Lead: ♠K
After going down in his slam on this deal from the Dyspeptics Club, South claimed that he had given the contract his best shot. As usual, North took great pleasure in undeceiving him.
In his slam of six hearts, South had received a top-spade lead and had correctly decided that he couldn’t afford to duck the first spade to correct the timing, since an immediate ruff would have sunk the contract. There were only 11 top winners, and in the forlorn hope that “something might turn up,” he reeled off his trumps. The defenders had no real problems with their discards and eventually came to their two tricks.
While South’s idea about winning the first trick was sound enough, there was a perfectly reasonable (and successful) alternative line of play. The fact that spades were 5-1 should have been to declarer’s advantage. If East indeed has the expected spade singleton, all that South needs to do is to find him with at least four clubs.
After drawing trump in two rounds, declarer cashes his two top diamonds and follows with the ace, king, and a club ruff — exposing the position in the suit. He then crosses to one of dummy’s remaining two trumps and leads the last club, on which he discards a spade.
This leaves East on lead with only minor-suit cards, and he is forced to concede a ruff and discard, allowing South’s last spade to go away.
Bid with the aces
Answer: 2♠
Do not get carried away by the four trumps and singleton. You have no high cards in partner's suits and soft cards in his likely shortages. A raise to two spades is certainly not an underbid, though you can hardly do less, but I would make the same call if the spade eight were the queen.
This Hand of the Day was originally published on aces.bridgeblogging.com.
