The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff
Opening Lead: ♦Q
The differences in approach between teams or rubber bridge and the pairs game is a subject that exercises my readers' curiosity. I am often asked whether there are deals that exemplify the difference in approach between one form of scoring and the other. Today's deal might clarify that point, because while the approach at pairs would not be straightforward here, the best play at teams is easy to identify.
Declaring four spades, you receive the lead of the diamond queen. With only four possible losers, you might decide at pairs to win the opening lead and draw trump, then to run the heart jack, or to lead a heart to the eight. You are playing for an overtrick, but with all the club and heart honors lying badly for you, the defenders are likely to prevail by winning the heart and reverting to diamonds. When East wins and plays a club through, you finesse, and lose both that trick and a further heart.
At teams or rubber bridge you would banish thoughts of an overtrick. Instead you win the diamond lead, draw trump, and exit with a diamond. When East wins to shift to a club, you take your ace and exit with a club. This forces the defenders to open up hearts for you. They can lead hearts through you once but not twice (and if East had shifted to a heart, not a club, at trick four, you would have set up a heart for a club discard).
Bid with the aces
Answer: 2NT
Though not worth a drive to game, you are worth at least one more call, since your partner's range is 6-10 HCP. While it is human nature to advance in spades, that would be impetuous, and unnecessary. Since you have already shown 5-4 in the majors, the best way to show your extra values is to bid two no-trump. That suggests this pattern, plus extra values. Let partner decide the level and strain now.
This Hand of the Day was originally published on aces.bridgeblogging.com.
