The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff
Opening Lead: ♣8
Today's deal comes from the Arthur Loeb charity game, set up to provide funding for Lennox House in Manhattan by means of a pro-am event. At the table declarer followed the normal enough approach of going after diamonds, leaving herself with one diamond and three hearts to lose.
But how should you play four spades on the lead of the club eight? If the club finesse is wrong, then every other significant card is with West, and you are doomed. You need the club finesse and one diamond honor onside — so you will surely not find the hearts favorably located.
Curiously, you must take the practice finesse in clubs at trick one, then lead a low diamond to your jack. When West wins the trick, he can defeat the contract only by the unlikely shift to the heart king. In practice you will win the likely trump return in hand and cross to dummy’s trump nine to pass the diamond 10. Whether or not East covers, you will be able to win this diamond trick or the next in dummy, then lead the club ace while pitching a heart. Now you ruff the last club, strip off the diamonds if necessary, and exit with a low heart from hand.
With the hearts lying as they do, the defenders cannot unscramble their three winners in the suit. If West flies up with the king and exits in hearts, your queen is good. If West ducks, the heart blockage means West will eventually give you a ruff-sluff, and the heart loser goes away.
Bid with the aces
Answer: 2♣ or 1NT
On this sort of auction, I would always rather give preference to partner with a call of two clubs than bid one no-trump. In my book, my partner does not have to introduce spades with a 4-3-3-3 pattern; he can instead rebid one no-trump. We might miss the best partscore, but the limiting rebid will help us reach the best game or slam. At pairs, though, I might be tempted to respond one no-trump.
This Hand of the Day was originally published on aces.bridgeblogging.com.
