The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff

In action here against France in the McConnell Cup at the World Championships is the Netherlands Women's team, that only two months previously had won the European Championships.

Opening Lead: ♣ 9

Against three no-trump West, Marijke van der Pas, led the club nine, which promised the 10, but no higher honor. Declarer won in hand and played the spade 10, which was allowed to hold. Van der Pas won the spade continuation with the king and switched to the diamond seven, won by dummy’s ace. A third spade was taken by Bep Vriend’s ace, and van der Pas had to find a discard. In their methods, a lead of a low card promised a good suit, and that diamond seven was not particularly low, albeit the lowest she had available. So it was certainly possible that East would do the wrong thing unless helped out by an informative discard.

How to persuade partner to continue diamonds? She solved the conundrum by discarding her heart queen. This could not be a request for a heart return, but instead a warning to switch, with suit-preference overtones. Vriend read the situation perfectly and returned the only card to defeat the contract — the diamond 10. A low diamond would not have been good enough. Declarer would have ducked, and West, forced to win the trick, could not profitably continue the suit.

In the other room the unbeatable four-spade contract was reached, so the Netherlands registered a game swing.

Bid with the aces

This Hand of the Day was originally published on aces.bridgeblogging.com.

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