Bookworm Bridge Conundrums #14
This conundrum was written by Danny Roth and was originally published in the b...
The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff
Tackle today’s offering as a play problem from the South seat.
Opening Lead: ♥3
Your forward one no-trump overcall is raised directly to game. With six small clubs, partner does not fancy exploring five clubs as a contract by transferring then showing short spades. That would only serve to help West on opening lead.
You receive a fourth-highest heart three lead to three no-trump. Plan the play.
East rates to hold most of the missing high-card strength, so you can place him with the diamond king, club king and spade ace. It seems as though you can score nine tricks then: a spade, two hearts, four diamonds and two clubs. The issue lies with entries to dummy; you need two: one for each black-suit finesse. The sticking point is that you cannot afford to take the heart king on the first or second round lest East still have a heart to reach his partner on the assumed 5-3 split.
Seeing all this, you could try to establish another entry to dummy in diamonds by running the diamond 10. However, East might counter by ducking. A diamond to the jack would see him win the king, return a heart, ducked, then revert to diamonds. That would be your last moment in dummy; not enough time to complete your business in both black suits.
However, you might succeed by threatening to establish dummy’s clubs. Win the first heart in hand (a spade shift would be unwelcome) and lead the diamond eight to the jack. If East ducks, you can take the club finesse, unblock the club ace, cross to the diamond ace and clear clubs with the heart king as an entry back there. So, East takes the diamond king and returns a heart, ducked. If he continues hearts, the jig is up, while a black-suit shift would also do your work for you. East must revert to diamonds, then, but thanks to your earlier unblock of the eight from hand, you can win cheaply with the diamond six on table, providing your extra entry. A club finesse follows, then the diamond ace, heart king and a spade up to the king for the game-going trick.
To play the diamond three to dummy’s jack would result in defeat; the suit would be blocked!
Bid with the Aces
Answer: 1♦
Many modern players would choose one no-trump, but I see nothing wrong with bidding your suits; one diamond followed by a convenient one-spade rebid over one heart.
Wouldn't a duck to the first round of hearts be prudent?
A return of the Q of spades would kill the contact.
1d:Correct!
Wouldn't a duck to the first round be prudent?
And you have to guess what to do after
1d 1h 1s 1nt
Pass, 2h, 2nt, everything can be right. Asher opening 1nt the road to your best contact seems easier for me.