The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff
Opening Lead: ♣J
Today's deal comes from the round-robin of the Yeh Bros. teams championships, which was held in Yokohama.
Included in the field were the then Bermuda Bowl world champions from the Netherlands, who went on to win the event in fine style, defeating the top Italian team in the finals. Here are the Dutch at work.
With both tables in the same contract of three spades, Shakespeare had it right when he said “The play’s the thing.” The defense started the same way in both rooms, with a club lead from West to East, who took his three top clubs. In the Closed Room the Japanese West discarded a discouraging heart, and East got off play with a trump. Declarer Simon de Wijs won in hand with the king, drew a second round of trump with the queen, then played on hearts and claimed nine tricks for plus140 since he had a spade entry to allow him to discard a diamond loser on dummy’s heart winner.
In the Open Room Ricco van Prooijen also led the club jack and continued the suit, Louk Verhees also cashing a third round of clubs. But van Prooijen, who could see the possibility of discards coming, thoughtfully ruffed his partner’s winner and led the diamond jack, ducked to the ace. Now declarer led the heart 10 from hand and passed it to East’s ace, but Verhees saw his five defensive winners. After taking his heart ace, he cashed the diamond king for down one, and 5 IMPs.
Bid with the aces
Answer: 2♥
Had the opponents not overcalled, you would have bid two clubs yourself, as Drury, to show a maximum pass with heart support. Now your choice is to make a simple raise to two hearts, or to make a cue-bid raise to three clubs to show a limit raise in hearts. Facing a third-in-hand opening bid, the former course is wiser. Partner can always make a try, knowing you may have pulled in a notch.
This Hand of the Day was originally published on aces.bridgeblogging.com.
