The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff

When you have reached game after a defender has opened the bidding, it still may not be right to play the opener for all the outstanding points. Today’s deal is from the European 2002 Mixed Teams Championship.

Opening Lead: ♠3

In most matches, East opened the bidding with one spade, but South ended in three no-trump. West led the spade three, East inserted the jack — good technique for the defenders to retain communication in the spade suit — and South took the king.

Five clubs, one spade, plus the ace and king of diamonds bring the trick total to eight. Knocking out the heart ace allows the defenders to cash four more spades, so that was not an option.

Many declarers saw matters in a simple light. With only 13 points outstanding, East was favored to hold them all. Therefore, they entered dummy with a top club and took the diamond finesse. That was two down, and no doubt South would consider himself unlucky, but he had missed the point of the deal.

Other more thoughtful declarers appreciated that East would come under pressure on the run of the club suit if he held the missing honors. As it transpired, East needed to find four discards. If these included a spade, then a heart could have been set up in safety.

At the table, East discarded three diamonds plus a heart. Now South cashed both top diamonds and was gratified to find the queen dropping doubleton, though not from East as expected, but from West.

Bid with the aces

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

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