The Aces On Bridge 2012 - Bobby Wolff PDF

The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, January 1st, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on January 15th, 2012
Dear Mr. Wolff: Dear Mr. Wolff:

In a duplicate pairs a player opened two I held ♠ K-3, ♥ K-10-9-4-3, ♦ K-5, ♣ Q-10-4-
diamonds, Flannery, with long diamonds. His 2, and when my partner opened one spade, I
convention card said he was playing did not think I had enough to force to game. I
Flannery, and his partner jumped to four bid one no-trump (the forcing no-trump), and
hearts, down two, but we could have made when my partner rebid two clubs, I felt stuck.
four spades. The Director said there were no Raising clubs might put us in a 4-3 fit,
grounds for adjustment — but I felt robbed. bidding hearts might suggest a weaker hand
and better suit, while two no-trump looked ill-
— Side-Swiped, Winston-Salem, N.C. directed. What should I have done?
— High Roller, Woodland Hills, Calif.
ANSWER: The Director presumably
established that the pair WAS playing
Flannery and your opponent simply misbid, ANSWER: I'd guess to bid two no-trump
rather than that his partner mis-explained the now. But here are two thoughts: a slight
position. I agreethat you were robbed, but in overbid of two hearts at your first turn saves
a sense you were simply unlucky and not these problems — a small price to pay.
entitled to an adjustment. I'd like to change Second, a convention called Bart, whereby
the rules to punish pairs for forgetting their in this action two diamonds is artificial,
complex methods. Currently they can do so showing hearts or a good hand, would have
with impunity. helped. You can find out more here.

We play Cappelletti against the opponents' I've heard the adage "The five-level belongs
no-trump, whereby two clubs shows a one- to the opponents." Is that valid and useful?
suiter, two diamonds shows the majors, and Also, "Always bid four spades over four
bids of the majors show that suit plus a hearts." Is this generally good advice?
minor. What should I have done after a no-
trump opening on my right when I held ♠ A- — Hartebeest, Clarksburg, Ontario
7-3, ♥ K-Q-9-4, ♦ Q, ♣ A-J-9-5-4? Non-
Cappelletti users simply bid two clubs,
making three, as partner had five clubs to ANSWER: Both pieces of advice are well
the king and out. meaning…but not 100 percent reliable. Too
often you find you've pushed the opponents
— In the Hole, Charlottesville, Va. once and that's enough, or you have no
safety yourself at the five-level…but not
always, alas! As to the second piece of
ANSWER: Would it really upset you to bid advice, again it is a suggestion, not a
two hearts, pretending you had hearts and command. When both sides have a
clubs? (Yes, I know the hearts should be a pronounced fit, bidding on tends to make
five-carder, but that is a technicality.) I might sense, but does not come with a guarantee.
do that with our side not vulnerable.
Otherwise, pass and hope it is their hand, or
that we go for 200 if we bid.
Dear Mr. Wolff:

My regular foursome has been trying to learn
the finer points of Standard American. Is an
opening call of two clubs the only demand
bid?
— Newby, Vancouver, Wash.
ANSWER: If you use the term to mean that

a demand bid cannot be passed, yes, a two-
club opening is forcing and the only forcing
opening bid. Equally, if you play strong twos,
they are also forcing for one round. The
negative response to a strong two is two no-
trump, and if opener rebids his suit, that can
be passed. Equally, if responder makes a
negative and then gives preference to his
partner at the three-level, this should also be
nonforcing.
The Aces on Bridge: Monday, January 2nd, 2012
“Fools, they do not even know how much more is the half than the whole.”
— Hesiod
Dealer: South North

In baseball they say that if you give the opposing side a Vul: Neither ♠ K 5
fourth out, you will get punished, but in today's deal, South ♥KQ64
♦QJ65
did not take advantage of his extra life. ♣982
West East
When West led a club against the heart game, declarer ♠J743 ♠ 10 9 6 2
♥98 ♥J5
saw nothing better than the 75 percent line of winning:
♦943 ♦ A K 10
drawing trump, then leading diamonds toward the queen ♣ Q J 10 5 ♣K764
and jack twice. When both the ace and king turned up South
♠AQ8
offside, declarer went one down and blamed the lie of the ♥ A 10 7 3 2
cards rather than his own carelessness. Can you see ♦872
♣A3
what he might have done better?
South West North East
It was lucky for declarer that West did not lead a diamond, 1♥ Pass 3♥ Pass
but once South had caught a break at trick one, he should 4♥ All pass
have looked to improve on the line he actually followed.
The key is the discard available from dummy on the top Opening Lead: ♣Q
spades. It does no good to discard a diamond from
dummy — that still leaves you with the same problem in diamonds. Instead, win the club
lead and draw trump in two rounds, then cash the three top spades and make the
apparently irrelevant discard of a club from dummy. The point is that you can now exit with
a club. Even if West wins and shifts to a low diamond, you can simply cover with the jack.
This endplays East into returning a diamond or giving you a ruff-sluff.
The approach of eliminating the side-suits when you have spare trump in each hand pays
dividends surprisingly often.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: When in doubt, lead from a four-
South Holds: card major rather than a minor. While I try to
♠A4 avoid leading from ace-fourth into a strong
♥J742 hand, I have no concerns about leading from
♦Q964 any other four-card suit headed by one
♣J43 honor. Here the heart lead looks best, with
my second choice a diamond. (There is no
South West North East third choice.)
1 NT
All pass
The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012
“All strange and terrible events are welcome,

But comforts we despise.”
— William Shakespeare
Dealer: West North

Today's deal, reported by Paul Marston of Australia, Vul: Both ♠A74
occurred in his duplicate bridge club. Before I tell you ♥KQJ
♦864
what happened, look at the full deal to see if you can work ♣7643
out the point of the hand. West East
♠K ♠J9832
What generally happened was that South took his life into ♥8753 ♥9
♦KJ932 ♦ Q 10 7
his hands by coming in at the two-level, and North had ♣KJ2 ♣ Q 10 8 5
enough respect for the vulnerability to drive to game South
♠ Q 10 6 5
directly — well judged in a sense. On the lead of the ♥ A 10 6 4 2
spade king against four hearts, South took dummy’s ace ♦A5
♣A9
and tried to draw trump in three rounds, ending in dummy.
He was unable to accomplish that, and had little choice South West North East
now but to try to lead a spade to the 10. Operation 1♦ Pass 1♠
successful – patient died! West ruffed and got off play with 2♥ Pass 4♥ All pass
a minor, leaving South with a loser in each of the side-

Opening Lead: ♠K
suits — down one.
Even after the helpful spade lead there is only one very challenging path to success —
one that nobody in Marston’s club could find (and, I’m willing to bet, not too many of my
readers either!). You must duck the opening lead, win the shift, then draw trump in four
rounds, cross to the spade ace and take the marked spade finesse for the contract. It is
an optical illusion that ducking the spade costs a trick. No matter how the cards lie, you
rate to lose a spade trick; the objective of the deal is not to lose two.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: This sequence is natural and
South Holds: forcing, and you should show where your
♠A74 values lie by bidding three hearts to help
♥KQJ partner decide whether to play in no-trump
♦864 or clubs. It is easy to see that if you are
♣7643 facing the right red-suit singleton, you might
make slam; if you are facing the wrong one,
South West North East three no-trump is high enough.
1♣ Pass
1 NT Pass 2♠ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, January 4th, 2012
“Yours is the shame and sorrow

But the disgrace is mine….”
— D.H. Lawrence
Dealer: North North

Howard Cohen of London is a fount of amusing bridge Vul: Both ♠Q5
stories, generally told against himself. Here is one of his ♥54
♦AJ54
recent coups,- resulting as usual in a severe blow to both ♣AQ652
his pride and pocketbook. If you want to test yourself, West East
♠J763 ♠9842
cover the East and West cards before reading the
♥ 10 9 3 ♥AQJ87
commentary. ♦Q8 ♦72
♣J974 ♣ K 10
Against three no-trump West led and continued hearts. South
♠ A K 10
Declarer won the second trick and set about finding out ♥K62
what he could before making his final decision on the ♦ K 10 9 6 3
♣83
location of the diamond queen. Three rounds of spades
suggested that West had started with four or five spades, South West North East
while it seemed East had started with five hearts and 1♣ 1♥
West just three. 2♦ Pass 3♦ Pass
3 NT All pass
South’s inclination was to play West for the diamond
Opening Lead: ♥10
queen because he knew East had at least eight cards in
the majors while West had at most eight. But, before he made the diamond play, there
was one last thing he could try … so he cashed the club ace.
When East’s king dropped, declarer was now sure East held at least three diamonds. So
he cashed the diamond ace and played a diamond to his 10. This lost to West’s queen
and declarer went three down!
It is time to tell you where Cohen was sitting. He was South and the East who had made
the fine play of dropping the club king from an original doubleton was Graham Orsmond.
What was worse, Howard had not thought to cash the club queen to confirm the club
position!
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: This auction does not sound
South Holds: forcing to me: I'd expect your partner to hold
♠ A K 10 a hand in the range of 10-11 points with real
♥K62 diamond support. But your hand is extremely
♦ K 10 9 6 3 promising because of your excellent controls
♣83 and long (in context) diamond suit, so you
should bid on. My best guess would be to go
South West North East all the way to five diamonds. (Game may
1♦ 1♠ 2♣ Pass need no more than a successful finesse.)
2 NT Pass 3♦ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, January 5th, 2012
“Alas, regardless of their doom,

The little victims play!
No sense have they of ills to come,
Nor care beyond today.”
— Thomas Gray
Dealer: South North

How would you play today's contract of six clubs after Vul: East- ♠AJ96532
receiving a heart lead? It looks natural to play for a West ♥A62
♦K5
diamond ruff in dummy, and indeed that is the right ♣6
approach. But there are some formalities to be observed if West East
♠Q874 ♠K
you are to give yourself the absolutely best chance.
♥KQJ94 ♥ 10 8 7 3
♦Q82 ♦J963
When the deal came up, David Smith of Australia was at ♣8 ♣J942
the helm, after an auction in which South’s delayed jump South
♠ 10
to five clubs suggested solid clubs together with some ♥5
extra values on the side. After winning the heart ace, he ♦ A 10 7 4
♣ A K Q 10 7 5 3
made the careful move of ruffing a heart in hand in to
protect himself against the somewhat unlikely but by no South West North East
means impossible bad break in clubs. Now came a 1♣ 1♥ 1♠ Pass
diamond to the king and a heart ruff, the diamond ace and 3♣ Pass 3♠ Pass
5♣ Pass 6♣ All pass
a diamond ruff, then the spade ace and a spade ruff as
East pitched a heart. Opening Lead: ♥K
At this point in the deal declarer had cashed four winners and taken three ruffs in hand
and one in dummy, to reduce to a five-card ending. Smith now cashed two top trumps,
ready to claim if they split. When they did not, he simply exited with his losing diamond
and could claim the last two tricks whichever defender won the trick since he had the Q-10
of clubs poised over East’s guarded jack of trumps.
(Declarer has some flexibility in the timing, but must use his entries to dummy to ruff three
times, to reduce his trump holding to East’s length for the trump coup.)
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You have only five hearts.
South Holds: Additionally, with a minimum hand and a
♠Q874 slow trick on defense in the trump suit, it
♥KQJ94 would be totally wrong to bid on here. Just
♦Q82 for reference, if your minor suits were
♣8 switched you would still not really have
enough to bid three hearts, but the decision
South West North East would be much closer.
Pass 1♦
1♥ 2♦ 2♥ 3♦
?
The Aces on Bridge: Friday, January 6th, 2012
“Success encourages these people; they can because they think they can.”
— Virgil
Dealer: South North

In today's deal North's initial two-club response persuaded Vul: Neither ♠ Q 9 6
South to try the club grand slam, expecting there to be a ♥7542
♦AK5
4-4 fit and the chance of a discard if necessary. However, ♣AK8
the three-card club suit in dummy was a big West East
♠4 ♠753
disappointment. How would you set about playing the
♥KQJ9 ♥ 10 8 6 3
grand slam? ♦Q643 ♦ 10 9 7 2
♣ 10 7 6 4 ♣J9
I have the greatest confidence in my readership, but I South
♠ A K J 10 8 2
suspect few players would find the winning line here. ♥A
While 12 tricks are easy enough, near misses do not ♦J8
♣Q532
count for much except in the case of horseshoes and
hand grenades. South West North East
1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass
The simplest line is to play for clubs to be 3-3. Draw 2♠ Pass 3♠ Pass
trumps and run the winners with some very small extra 4♥ Pass 4 NT Pass
5♣* Pass 5 NT Pass
chances if the clubs do not break. But you can do much
7♣ Pass 7♠ All pass
better.
*3 or 0 aces, counting the trump king
as an ace
Win the the heart king with the ace, play the spade ace,
and lead a spade to the nine. Then ruff a heart, play a Opening Lead: ♥K
club to the ace, and ruff another heart. Next play a
diamond to the ace, ruff another heart, play a diamond to the king, and ruff a diamond.
Then go back to dummy with the club king to draw the last trump and take trick 13 with the
club queen.
In total you scored four ruffs in hand, three trump tricks in dummy, and six winners in the
plain suits. This is a perfect and extended dummy reversal whereby you used dummy’s
three-card suit to draw trump, and your long trump in hand for ruffing purposes.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Although your hand is sterile in
South Holds: distribution, if your partner has the extra
♠Q96 shape he has promised, you might make a
♥7542 slam. Start by cue-bidding two spades to
♦AK5 find out if your partner has a spade control.
♣AK8

1♦ Pass
1♥ 1♠ 2♦ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, January 7th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on January 21st, 2012
“A clever person turns great problems into little ones and little ones into none at all.”
— Chinese proverb
Dealer: East North

I freely admit that when given today's deal as a problem, I Vul: Both ♠A7
started out well but missed one of the subtleties of the ♥Q98
♦A5
play. So see if you can "Stump the Swami" and do better ♣Q97652
than me! West East
♠—
♠ Q J 10 8 5
♥742
Having been given the warning in four spades that trumps ♥ J 10 5
♦ K J 10 9 7 6
will not be splitting (what else could West’s double ♦Q84
3
♣J4
signify?). you win the diamond ace at trick one and ruff a ♣ K 10 8
South
diamond to hand. What next? Best is to exploit the ♠K96432
possibility of finding the club king onside — but you do not ♥AK63
♦2
want to lead the club ace and a second club, or East ♣A3
might win (as here)and play a third club. So you lead a
low club to the queen and king. Back comes a heart, and South West North East
you win in hand and lead a trump to the board, intending 3♦
3♠ Pass 4♠ Pass
to insert the seven. West must contribute the eight, and Pass Dbl. All pass
you win the ace, finding the bad news, then take the
remaining top hearts, in case you need to ruff the fourth Opening Lead: ♦4
heart in dummy, finding the suit to be 3-3.
Now you cash the club ace and can be sure West started with a 5-3-3-2 pattern. You lead
out the fourth heart to force West to ruff high and return a diamond, which lets you ruff in
hand and lead a spade toward the seven. Again, West must win the trick with a high
trump, but now he will have to lead away from his Q-5 of spades in the two-card ending.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You have a choice of simple
South Holds: actions: a rebid of two clubs and a response
♠A7 of one no-trump. Although your six-card suit
♥Q98 is weak, it looks better to rebid clubs
♦A5 because your heart spots are not quite good
♣Q97652 enough to announce you are comfortable in
no-trump.
1♣ 1♥ 1♠ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, January 8th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on January 22nd, 2012
ANSWER: After a negative response of two

diamonds, responder can pass opener's
Dear Mr. Wolff: rebid of two no-trump, which shows 22-24 or
In a recent Sunday letter you said that the so. If opener bids a suit and responder bids
Law of Total Tricks (which involves judging the lower minor as a second negative, then
the level you compete to by counting the opener's rebid of his suit becomes
total number of tricks your partnership holds) nonforcing. Everything else must lead to
does not work as well at the five-level as it game.
does at lower levels. Why is this?
— Totally Tricked, Smyrna Beach, Fla. Dear Mr. Wolff:
In second seat I held this strong unbalanced
ANSWER: I'm not going to say that the Law hand: ♠ J-3, ♥ A-K-10-9-4-2, ♦ A-J-5-3, ♣ A. I
doesn't work at high-levels, but its main use bid two hearts over one spade, and my LHO
is at lower levels where the high-cards are raised to two spades. When the auction
approximately split. As you get higher, too came back to me, should I have bid three
many variables mean you can't rely on the hearts, three diamonds, or should I have
law so much. passed?
— Off the Grid, Elmira, N.Y.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
My partner held ♠ A-K-7-3, ♥ A-K-9-4-2, ANSWER: You should clearly reopen here,
♦ 10-5-3, ♣ 4. His LHO opened three looking for the most flexible action. Best is to
spades, passed around to him. As I see it, double, since you can raise diamonds or
the choice would be to pass — which seems correct a club response to either three
a little pessimistic — or to reopen. If he bids, diamonds or three hearts.
should he double, bid three no-trump, or try
four hearts? At the table we wended our way
to four hearts, mercifully undoubled, down Dear Mr. Wolff:
300.
What is the best way to defend against a
— Ray of Sunshine, Montreal, Quebec strong no-trump? Would you rather play a
defense that allows you to bid with two
suiters or play natural?
ANSWER: Your partner had a tough hand, — Old Artificer, Dodge City, Kansas
but if he wants to bid, the choice is between
a call of three no-trump and four hearts, with
my money firmly on the latter. Passing
seems very pessimistic, but could easily be ANSWER: I used to be content to play
right. Even if it is, you may not score well at natural, but these days I'm more inclined to
pairs. consider a defense geared to letting me act
with two-suited hands as well as one-suiters.
The most active defenses are called DONT
and Woolsey. You can find out more here.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
If my partner opens two clubs and I respond
two diamonds, what auctions will allow us to
stop short of game? Or are we forced to
game?
— Minny the Moocher, Walnut Creek, Calif.
The Aces on Bridge: Monday, January 9th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on January 23rd, 2012
“Ship me somewheres east of Suez, where the best is like the worst,
Where there aren’t no Ten Commandments, and a man can raise a thirst.”
— Rudyard Kipling
Dealer: South North

After South's strong no-trump, West came in with two Vul: North- ♠J532
hearts and North showed four spades and no heart stop South ♥ 10 5 3
♦K9
by cue-bidding three hearts. (Had he held a heart stopper ♣AK62
and four spades, a convention called Lebensohl would West East
♠76 ♠ 10 9 8 4
have let him bid two no-trump as a puppet to three clubs,
♥KQJ942 ♥—
then cue-bid three hearts.) ♦ Q J 10 ♦A7654
♣J3 ♣ 10 9 8 5
The final contract of three no-trump was predictable South
♠AKQ
enough, and West equally predictably led a top heart. ♥A876
♦832
Before you play to the first trick, it is always a good idea to ♣Q74
count your winners and decide where you need to set up
tricks and who is the danger hand. A cursory count of 1 NT 2♥ 3♥ Pass
potential winners should come to eight. If clubs split, you 3 NT All pass
have nine tricks, so you need to allow for the likelihood
that they will not break. Opening Lead: ♥K
The secret here is that the hearts are useless to you, and the diamond king is worth
nothing if the ace is onside. If that is so, West will have heart winners galore, ready to
cash. So you must hope the diamond ace is offside!
Win the heart lead for fear of the diamond shift, unblock your spade honors, then cross to
a top club and cash the spade jack. Now take your club winners, ending in dummy. If the
fourth club is not a winner, exit with the club loser and wait for East to lead a diamond.
With any luck, the diamond ace will be offside, and East will be endplayed to lead around
to dummy’s diamond king.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your best choice for setting up
South Holds: tricks is a heart lead, but at the same time
♠KQ this lead is likely to give up a trick
♥ Q 10 6 4 2 unnecessarily. I'd prefer to lead the more
♦AJ7 passive club, hoping that if dummy does not
♣953 have a long running club suit, we can defeat
the contract by giving nothing away. The
South West North East diamond jack is also a good choice if looking
Pass Pass for a swing action.
1♥ Dbl. Pass 1 NT
Pass 3 NT All pass
The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, January 10th, 2012
“The good things of life are not to be had singly, but come to us with a mixture.”
— Thomas Lamb
Dealer: West North

Deals from actual play are somehow more satisfying than Vul: East- ♠ 10 8 3
constructed deals. No one has rung a bell to let the player West ♥ 10 6
♦AQ8632
know that the critical moment has come and that he must ♣J2
focus on the problem at hand before it is too late. West East
♠J764 ♠KQ5
♥KJ754 ♥A8
The deal came up on OK Bridge and the auction shown
♦ 10 4 ♦97
was typical. After South took a punt at three no-trump, the ♣K7 ♣ Q 10 8 5 4 3
defenders led a heart to the ace and returned the heart South
♠A92
eight to West’s jack. West saw that the missing hearts ♥Q932
were the nine and queen, and since East would have ♦KJ5
♣A96
returned the nine had he been left with the 9-8 at trick two,
South must logically hold both of those cards. A shift was South West North East
logically called for, and West had the choice of playing his Pass 2♦ Pass
partner for the club ace or any two spade honors. Most 3 NT All pass
guessed well by playing a spade. (On a club shift declarer

Opening Lead: ♥5
would be likely to succeed by ducking the trick.)
But at our featured table, declarer, Tim Bourke, could see this scenario about to present
itself to West. To prevent him from finding the winning play, Tim cold-bloodedly sacrificed
the heart nine under East’s eight at trick two!
Now there were no inferences available about the small hearts. From West’s perspective
he needed to cash the hearts immediately or declarer might be able to scamper home
with nine tricks. (Give declarer any one of East’s black-suit honors, and that would be
true.) So he cashed the heart king and set up Tim’s ninth winner for him.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your partner's cue-bid suggests a
South Holds: good hand, and you certainly have extras —
♠KQ5 enough to suggest that game is in the cards.
♥A8 Neither a call of two hearts nor three hearts
♦97 really describes your hand; a repeat cue-bid
♣ Q 10 8 5 4 3 of three diamonds by you should suggest
extras with no clear direction to go.
1♦ 1♥ Pass
2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass
?
“Choose your neighbors before you buy your house.”

— Hausa proverb
Dealer: West North

Few historical characters play much of a role in the Vul: East- ♠K42
naming of bridge coups, though the Deschapelles Coup is West ♥ A Q 10 6
♦AK8
named after a famous whist player, and the Merrimac ♣ Q 10 9
Coup is named after a historical event. West East
♠AJ763 ♠ 10 9 8
♥75 ♥83
Cardinal Morton’s role in history is relatively minor. As
♦ Q 10 7 ♦9654
Henry VII’s grasping cardinal, he impaled England’s peers ♣AK2 ♣J875
on the horns of a dilemma. Either they entertained him South
♠Q5
well — in which case they were wealthy — or they tried to ♥KJ942
look poor, in which case their thrift also implied funds in ♦J32
♣643
the bank. Either way, they had to pay heavy taxes to the
king. South West North East
1♠ Dbl. Pass
Here is a Morton’s Fork coup. In four hearts West leads a 2♥ Pass 3♥ Pass
top club and shifts to a trump. You win cheaply in hand 4♥ All pass
and play a second club. West wins and exits in trumps,
Opening Lead: ♣K
letting you take both red aces and the club queen, then
cross to hand with a trump.
When you lead a spade toward the king, it presents West with a Morton’s Fork. If West
takes this, he provides a home for your diamond loser, so he must duck the trick. You win
dummy’s king, and now cash your last two trumps, reducing to a three-card end position.
If you judge that West has reduced to a single diamond, you cash the diamond king and
score your diamond jack. If West keeps two diamonds, he must come down to a bare
spade ace. You exit in spades and wait for him to play a diamond around to your jack.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You have a relatively minimum
South Holds: hand that is semibalanced. You can advance
♠AJ763 by repeating spades (which seems
♥75 unsatisfactory given your spade spots) and
♦ Q 10 7 then rebid no-trump — which is
♣AK2 inappropriate without a heart stop — or by
raising diamonds, which seems like the least
South West North East misleading option.
1♠ Pass 2♦ Pass
?
“First ponder, then dare!”

— Helmuth von Moltke
Dealer: East North

Declarer looked beyond the obvious when playing this Vul: Both ♠9754
heart slam. Unfortunately, he did not look far enough, and ♥ J 10 4
♦ Q 10 6 5
the slam failed. ♣92
West East
Declarer appreciated that the obvious route to 12 tricks ♠ Q J 10 ♠K8632
♥— ♥653
was to find the club king with East, and dummy’s trumps
♦K9432 ♦J8
provided the necessary two entries to repeat the finesse. ♣K6543 ♣ 10 8 7
But South saw another possibility — that he could give up South
♠A
a diamond trick in exchange for generating two extra ♥AKQ9872
winners — in which case he would not need the club ♦A7
♣AQJ
finesse at all, since there would then be two discards for
the queen and jack of clubs. South West North East
Pass
For this to be so, the most likely lie of the diamonds would 2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass
be the king in West’s hand, with the jack due to fall in 2♥ Pass 4♥ Pass
6♥ All pass
three rounds. So, declarer cashed the heart ace, then
followed with ace and another diamond. West took the Opening Lead: ♠Q
king, and when the jack dropped doubleton from East,
followed with a third diamond. East ruffed and South overruffed, but now only one club
discard was available. With the club king offside, down went the slam.
Declarer was on the right track, but failed to allow for the diamond jack being doubleton
with East. The way home is, at trick three, to lead the diamond seven toward the queen —
without first cashing the ace. West cannot afford to duck, but now a diamond return can do
no harm. After South draws trump ending in dummy, both of his losing clubs can be
offloaded on dummy’s good diamonds.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: This is a forcing auction, since
South Holds: your partner could have shown a good hand,
♠K8632 or an even better one, by bidding two hearts
♥653 or jumping to three hearts at his previous
♦J8 turn. This sequence is stronger still. In any
♣ 10 8 7 event, in the context of what you have
shown (or denied), you have a decent hand.
South West North East You should raise to four hearts, confident
1♣ Dbl. Pass that you will be offering your partner a few
1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass
useful assets.
2♠ Pass 3♥ Pass
?
“Nothing is so good as it seems beforehand.”

— George Eliot
Dealer: North North

When both sides have a good fit and the bidding gets high Vul: Both ♠AJ32
quickly, it is always hard to judge who can make what. It is ♥—
♦ 10 9 4
often a sound principle to keep on bidding when in doubt. ♣J95432
Maybe you can make your contract, or maybe it is a good West East
♠9876 ♠ K 10 4
sacrifice. That was why North tried five diamonds over
♥Q7652 ♥AK843
four hearts. ♦2 ♦K75
♣K76 ♣Q8
Declarer ruffed the heart lead, crossed to hand with a South
♠Q5
club, then ruffed another heart. However, the pace of play ♥ J 10 9
now slowed down and declarer was short of winning ♦AQJ863
♣ A 10
options. In practice he played a low spade, but East went
in with the king and switched to a trump. South West North East
Pass 1♥
Declarer ran this to dummy but now, with the spade suit 2♦ 4♥ 5♦ Dbl.
blocked, the best he could do was cash the spade ace All pass
and jack, discarding a heart. In the end he had to lose a
Opening Lead: ♥5
trump and a club to go with the spade already lost.
Although it looked tempting to play to ruff hearts in dummy immediately, declarer should
have foreseen that this line might not work against a bad trump break. Look at the effect
of playing a spade at trick two.
Say that East goes in with the king, as before, and plays a trump. Declarer runs this to
dummy, plays a spade to the queen, ruffs another heart, and cashes the spade ace while
discarding a heart, then plays the spade jack. Whether East ruffs in or discards, declarer
loses just one more trick.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your partner's double shows a
South Holds: good hand, unsuitable for a call of three no-
♠AJ32 trump, something akin to an optional double.
♥— It looks normal to bid four clubs now,
♦ 10 9 4 suggesting extra club length and allowing
♣J95432 your partner to decide where to go from
here.
1♦ 1♥
Dbl. 3♥ Dbl. Pass
?
“The words of wise men who are skilled

In using them are not so much to defy
What comes when memory meets the unfulfilled.”
— Edwin Arlington Robinson
Dealer: West North

In today's deal North's raise of four spades to five Vul: Neither ♠ Q 9 6
specifically suggested concern about the opponent's suit. ♥Q753
♦AKQ6
If North had weak trumps and a club control, he could ♣ Q 10
have advanced with five clubs, so the actual sequence West East
♠72 ♠5
asked South to pass with no club control, cue-bid the ace,
♥ 10 8 4 ♥KJ962
or bid slam with second-round control. ♦9 ♦ J 10 4 3
♣AK96543 ♣J87
Now to the play. When the board occurred in a team game South
♠ A K J 10 8 4 3
both tables relied on the heart king falling early or on ♥A
diamonds breaking. The declarers drew trump and tried to ♦8752
♣2
ruff out the heart king, falling back on the diamond break
when nothing nice developed. Both tables ended up with South West North East
11 tricks, and both were unaware that they had failed to 3♣ Pass Pass
exploit their chances properly. 4♠ Pass 5♠ Pass
6♠ All pass
Better technique is to ruff the second club, draw trump,
Opening Lead: ♣K
then cash the heart ace, cross to dummy with a trump,
cash the diamond ace, ruff a heart, then run all but one of the trumps. In the four-card
ending, dummy has two hearts and the diamond king-queen. In hand you have three
diamonds and one trump left; but which four cards does East keep? If he reduces to two
hearts and two diamonds, you will unblock diamonds, ruff a heart to hand, and take trick
13 with a diamond.
If instead he keeps one heart and three diamonds, you will know the diamonds are not
splitting when West shows out. Your one remaining chance is to ruff a heart to hand; with
the heart king falling, dummy is now good.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: The two possible approaches are
South Holds: to put maximum pressure on your opponents
♠5 by bidding five clubs, or to try to get the
♥KJ962 opponents to sell out quietly by bidding four
♦ J 10 4 3 clubs, hoping they stop in four spades. Of
♣J87 the two approaches I marginally prefer the
latter (not least because five clubs doubled
South West North East might prove expensive if your partner's clubs
3♣ Pass are on the feeble side).
?
ANSWER: Depending on vulnerability, you

might have as little as a sound pre-empt at
Dear Mr. Wolff: the three-level with an extra card. But
If my LHO bids and my partner doubles and vulnerable, a four-spade opening suggests
there is no intervening bid, do I have to bid? eight playing tricks, though rarely two first-
round controls — the quoted hand is indeed
— Running Scared, Holland, Mich. at the very top of the range. To consider
moving, facing a nonvulnerable four-heart
opener, I'd want at least a strong no-trump
ANSWER: You do not have to bid, but you with a source of tricks, and three key-cards.
are expected to do so unless you have a
trump holding that suggests playing for
penalties. If you have five trumps, they Dear Mr. Wolff:
should be very chunky for you to pass. And,
of course, you must not pass from weakness When a player revokes, what are his
— you may even have to bid a three-card obligations to admit to it as opposed to trying
suit in an emergency. to conceal it?
— Law-Abiding Citizen, Boise, Idaho
Dear Mr. Wolff:
I was waiting to bid in third seat at favorable ANSWER: Do not deliberately conceal the
vulnerability with ♠ A-Q-3, ♥ K-J-9-4, ♦ A-Q- revoke by claiming or conceding; equally you
5-3, ♣ 10-4 when I heard my partner open are not obliged to say anything in this
three clubs. Naturally I bid three no-trump, position. You must not, however, deliberately
but I found him with seven clubs to the king revoke a second time to conceal the first
and the singleton diamond jack. After going revoke.
down two, I remonstrated with him about
pre-empting with such a weak suit, but he
said that was normal. What do you think? Dear Mr. Wolff:
— Outraged, Honolulu, Hawaii For the first time I can remember, I had a
hand without even a 10. What are the odds
of that happening?
ANSWER: I hate to disagree with my — My First Yarborough, Grand Junction,
correspondents, but I think at favorable Colo.
vulnerability in first seat I have done worse
— and got away with it. I would have bid
three no-trump with your hand if I had held a
third club, but as it is, I think the chances ANSWER: The number normally quoted for
that you would not be able to reach your a Yarborough is 1828 to 1.
partner's hand were slightly too high. You can see more on the subject of the
famous Earl at here.
Dear Mr. Wolff: The math is complex but to express it simply,
divide the number of hands that qualify for a
In one of your columns, a player with ♠ A-K- Yarborough (all hands made up of the 32
Q-9-8-6-5, ♥ 4, ♦ 10-6-5-3, ♣ A opened four cards that contain no AKQJ10) by all
spades. This seems too strong a hand for possible hands to get the number.
that opening, with eight quick tricks. If South
does open four spades, what kind of hand
should his partner have to move on to slam?
— Excelsior, Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
“All men think all men mortal, but themselves.”

— Edward Young
Dealer: South North

Today's deal comes from the finals of a national Vul: East- ♠962
championship. How would you evaluate South's cards? West ♥ A 10 7
♦Q6
♣AQJ75
In one room South opened three hearts. West doubled, West East
North raised to four hearts, and South fell from grace by ♠ A K Q 10 ♠J543
♥K ♥96
bidding on to five hearts over East’s four-spade bid. It is
♦A954 ♦ K 10 3
better for South to double here to show extra shape, ♣9643 ♣ K 10 8 2
wanting to bid again, though North might well have got it South
♠87
wrong and bid five hearts himself, but then it would have ♥QJ85432
been his fault! The defenders cashed out for 300. ♦J872
♣—
In the other room Ishmael Del’Monte opened four hearts,
doubled by West to end the auction. (Most play this 4♥ Dbl. All pass
double nowadays to be closer to takeout than optional,
but maybe the fact that West was a rubber-bridge expert Opening Lead: ♠K
made his double more inclined to penalties.)
West led the spade king to get a count card of the five, and continued with the ace — the
queen might have been clearer. East followed with the three, leaving West to guess if this
was suit-preference for clubs from an original holding of four spades, or an original
doubleton spade.
Either way, though, how could cashing the diamond ace next have been wrong? If partner
discourages, you revert to spades and wait for your club tricks if any. In fact, West played
a third spade and declarer trumped, then ruffed out the clubs via the trump finesse. He
ended up with three clubs and seven hearts, for 590.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: The best way to set up extra
South Holds: tricks here might be to lead hearts — but
♠K962 only if partner is stacked in that suit. A more
♥Q753 plausible route might be to lead clubs,
♦Q62 hoping for an early ruff, and maybe a trump
♣52 promotion in the suit later on.

1♦ Pass 1♠
Pass 2♣ Pass 2♠
All pass
“The people are like water and the army is like fish.”
— Mao Zedong
Dealer: North North

Today's deal from the old days was played by Dr John Vul: Neither ♠ 9
Fisher of Dallas, one of my great friends within the ♥AKQJ5
♦962
community of Texas bridge players. He won the ♣K852
McKenney trophy for the most masterpoints earned in a West East
♠ 10 3 ♠8642
year in 1973, and was a great doctor as well s a bridge
♥973 ♥842
player. He was one of Barry Crane's regular partners, and ♦K5 ♦ A Q 10 7 4
together they formed a fearsome pair. ♣ J 10 9 7 4 3 ♣6
South
♠AKQJ75
After a strong jump response, Fisher played four spades, ♥ 10 6
but he had reached that contract in an informative auction ♦J83
♣AQ
that got West off to the best attack. The incisive lead of
the diamond king saw East encourage and West continue South West North East
with his second diamond. East won his ace, cashed the 1♥ Pass
queen, then played a fourth diamond. Fisher ruffed high 2♠ Pass 3♥ Pass
3♠ Pass 4♣ Pass
and cashed the spade ace and king. 4♠ All pass
When the spade 10 fell, he decided to play East for two Opening Lead: ♦K
trumps remaining. He took the heart ace and king; then
the heart queen, which he ruffed in hand, the start of a grand coup.
The club queen to dummy’s king left a three-card ending where South had the Q-7 of
spades and the club ace, while East had the 8-6 of spades and the 13th diamond. When
Fisher led a winning heart from dummy, what could East do? If he ruffed in, declarer would
overruff and draw trump. He chose to discard, so Fisher pitched his club ace and led
another heart to achieve the trump coup at trick 12.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Once partner shows a club suit,
South Holds: you can describe your big club fit and spade
♠9 shortage by jumping to three spades. This is
♥AKQJ5 a splinter raise, putting your partner in
♦962 position to decide on the appropriate level
♣K852 and strain in which to play. One caveat: will
your partner know that is what this call
South West North East should mean? Yes — with hearts and
1♦ spades, you would just bid two spades now,
1♥ Pass 2♣ Pass
wouldn't you?
?
by Bobby Wolff on February 1st, 2012
“Unskilled the fowler who his snare reveals:

If at the bait I snatch — my doom is sealed:”
— Pierre Corneille
Dealer: South North

Today's hand was nicely handled by declarer in a recent Vul: Both ♠43
European Women's Championship. ♥J862
♦ A 10 5 3
♣AK6
After a normal if slightly aggressive action to reach the 24- West East
point three no-trump, West gave declarer an assist when ♠AK9852 ♠ 10
she led a low spade to the queen. Even after that start, at ♥ Q 10 ♥9753
♦64 ♦KJ98
first sight there does not seem too much straw with which ♣Q42 ♣J875
to make bricks. Declarer played off the ace and king of South
♠QJ76
hearts without much hope, but when the queen fell from ♥AK4
West, the distribution of that suit was apparent. Now came ♦Q72
♣ 10 9 3
a club to the king and a low diamond to the queen, which
held. South West North East
1♣ 2♠ Dbl. Pass
Things were really looking up now. South could count 2 NT Pass 3 NT All pass
eight tricks, so she continued with a low diamond, ducked
to East’s nine. When East returned the diamond jack, on Opening Lead: ♠5
which West shed a spade, the hand was an open book to
declarer. East was known to have started with four hearts and four diamonds, and both
from the bidding and East’s failure to return a spade, her shape was revealed as 1-4-4-4.
Declarer won the diamond return with the ace, cashed the club ace, then exited with a
third club, knowing that whichever opponent won the trick would be endplayed.
If it was East, then after cashing a club and a diamond, she would have to lead a heart
into dummy’s tenace. And if it was West, as happened at the table, she could cash the
spade ace and king, but would then have to lead to declarer’s jack.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Once your partner turns up with
South Holds: 5-6 in the black suits, your hand is
♠43 spectacular in support of spades. You would
♥J862 like to cue-bid in support of clubs, but a four-
♦ A 10 5 3 diamond call would agree the last-bid suit,
♣AK6 spades. So raise to four clubs, since the
auction is clearly game-forcing, and hope
South West North East that partner can show a heart control next.
1♣ Pass
1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass
2 NT Pass 3♠ Pass
?
by Bobby Wolff on February 2nd, 2012
“Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard

Are sweeter.”
— John Keats
Dealer: West North

At the Dyspeptics Club, West's performance at the bridge Vul: North- ♠Q76
table swings alarmingly between the shockingly inept,and South ♥A9
♦ K J 10 9 6
the startlingly accurate, and East never knows what to ♣984
expect. North consoles him from time to time by West East
♠ 10 4 ♠853
remarking comfortingly that at least he gets something
♥KQJ7643 ♥8
other than second-rate from HIS partner whereas he, ♦A5 ♦7432
North, knows exactly what to expect, but that does not ♣Q7 ♣ K J 10 3 2
South
make it any less painful. ♠AKJ92
♥ 10 5 2
In today’s deal South’s spade game was threatened by a ♦Q8
♣A65
top heart lead. South could not afford to duck, so he took
dummy’s ace and led a low diamond to his queen. To South West North East
encourage West to take his ace, he nudged the trick 1♥ Pass 1 NT
toward him. 2♠ 3♥ 4♠ All pass
But West ducked, perhaps aware that he should resist the Opening Lead: ♥K
temptation to do what South wanted him to. West won the
next diamond, cashed the heart queen, then continued with the jack. South ruffed high,
but East discarded his last diamond and declarer was left with two club losers whatever
he did next.
South asked his partner if it would have been better to ruff the third heart low, to which
North responded by saying “Yes and no.” What did that Delphic utterance mean?
If South ruffs the third heart low, then to defeat the hand, East must pitch his last diamond
and not overruff. But declarer can insure the contract against normal trump breaks by
pitching a club from dummy, and not ruffing the third heart. Then he can draw trump
ending in dummy and run the diamonds to pitch his clubs.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: On this auction it is sensible to
South Holds: bid three no-trump immediately and not
♠Q76 worry about the defenders' ability to run the
♥A9 spade suit. Since your partner did not double
♦ K J 10 9 6 two spades and your RHO did not raise
♣984 spades, the defenders are unlikely to be
able to cash out the suit.
2♠ 3♣ Pass
?
by Bobby Wolff on February 3rd, 2012
“How very weak the very wise,

How very small the very great are!”
— William Thackeray
Dealer: West North

A month or two ago I gave you a story of a hand played Vul: Both ♠K742
by Roger Trezel where he fell into the right line almost by ♥8
♦87532
accident. To redress the balance, the following deal was ♣ 10 9 8
played in Paris by Trezel with a very different theme. West East
♠J53 ♠ A Q 10
Trezel had arrived in a great contract five clubs), but still ♥J97643 ♥Q52
♦ A K 10 9 ♦QJ64
had to make it. He suspected the spade ace was with ♣— ♣543
East, given West’s diamond-king lead from a passed South
♠986
hand. It is hard enough to try to make this contract looking ♥ A K 10
at all four hands, and of course declarer did not have that ♦—
♣AKQJ762
advantage.
Trezel ruffed the opening lead with a high trump and led Pass Pass Pass
the club six to dummy and ruffed another diamond high. 1♣ 1♥ Pass 2♥
He re-entered dummy by leading the club seven to the 10 4♣ 4♥ 5♣ All pass
and ruffed a third diamond high. This was followed by the
Opening Lead: ♦K
heart ace-king and a heart ruff with dummy’s last trump.
Then came a fourth diamond ruff, again with a high trump.
At this point Trezel had reduced his once proud trump holding to just the club two,
accompanied by three little spades. Dummy had king-third of spades and a winning
diamond, while East had A-Q-10 of spades along with a “high” trump: the five!
Trezel exited his hand with a trump, discarding a spade from the table. Poor East could no
better than take his club five and his spade ace, but then had to concede the last two
tricks to dummy’s spade king and winning diamond.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: This is the sort of deal that is
South Holds: duck soup if you play inverted minors,
♠ A Q 10 whereby a response of two diamonds is
♥Q52 forcing for one round and shows at least a
♦QJ64 limit raise in diamonds. Failing that, your
♣543 choice is a slightly antipositional invitational
call of two no-trump, or a limit-raise to three
South West North East diamonds, hoping partner does not have
1♦ Pass precisely three diamonds. I prefer the former
? action.
by Bobby Wolff on February 4th, 2012
“When I consider life, 'tis all a cheat,

Yet fooled by hope, men favour the deceit….”
— John Dryden
Dealer: West North

With no real fit, you do not have to bid combined 24- Vul: Both ♠J62
counts to game. However, as you look at all four hands ♥ A Q 10
♦ K 10 8 5
today, four spades seems simple enough to bring home. ♣AK4
You would be worried about losing a trick in each red suit West East
♠ 10 8 4 ♠KQ
and two trump tricks, but with the spades lying in such
♥9763 ♥K4
friendly fashion, you would expect the contract to make, ♦AJ2 ♦973
as indeed it did at almost all of the tables where it was ♣765 ♣QJ9832
South
attempted — but not when Portugal faced Ireland's Adam ♠A9753
Mesbur and Nick Fitzgibbon in the 2002 European ♥J852
♦Q64
Championships. The defense that the Irish pair found was ♣ 10
both imaginative and effective.
North-South were playing a weak no-trump, which partly Pass 1♦ 2♣
explains South’s aggressive initial action and North’s 2♠ Pass 2 NT* Pass
3♥ Pass 4♠ All pass
ability to rebid a forcing two no-trump. In response to his
*Forcing
partner’s intervention, Adam Mesbur led the club five,
which was taken in dummy with the ace. A low spade Opening Lead: ♣5
went to the king and ace, and this was followed by a
finesse of the heart 10, which held. Next came a low diamond to the queen, also ducked
without a flicker from Adam.
Declarer now confidently finessed again in hearts, and on winning with his now-bare king,
Nick Fitzgibbon returned a diamond to Adam’s ace, who promptly played a heart, which
his partner ruffed with the spade queen. That was the defense’s third trick, and with the
spade 10-8 sitting over South’s nine, a further trump trick was guaranteed.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: In response to a reverse it is
South Holds: relatively common these days to treat a
♠A9753 rebid of your long suit (here, two spades) as
♥J852 forcing for one round. Almost all other
♦Q64 actions deny five cards in the suit in which
♣ 10 you responded. Whether or not you have
this special agreement, there is no reason
South West North East not to bid two spades. If you play the call as
1♣ Pass nonforcing and partner passes, you won't
1♠ Pass 2♦ Pass have missed game.
?
ANSWER: Absolutely not; open your longer

minor, or one club with three cards in each
Dear Mr. Wolff: minor. The closest I get to your rule is that
As a neophyte, I am frequently intrigued by with 4-4 in the minors I tend to open the
the bidding. In a recent article, South opened better suit — but others have different rules
one no-trump and North responded two to break that tie.
hearts with long spades. Then South bid two
spades with only two of them! Please
explain. Dear Mr. Wolff:
— Bidding What You Don't Have, Atlanta, I heard a two-diamond pre-empt to my left
Ga. and my partner bid two spades. What
choices do I have with ♠ J, ♥ Q-10-8-4-3,
♦ K-10-5, ♣ K-J-9-4?
ANSWER: Mea culpa. I often forget that I — Lost in Spades, Charleston, S.C.
should be explaining Jacoby transfers to my
readers. (In my defense, I believe most
players are now taught transfers in response
to one no-trump, but not all my readers ANSWER: I think the lack of fit suggests
learned recently, and not all of them learn bidding two no-trump now. Once in a while
transfers.) Responses in a red suit to one you might miss a game, but you make it a lot
no-trump are intended as a transfer to the easier for your partner if he can describe his
suit above, showing five cards in that suit. hand fully at his next turn.
Continuations are natural and are discussed
here.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
Yesterday at our club West opened the
Dear Mr. Wolff: bidding one heart and heard a two no-trump
In fourth chair I opened two diamonds. My response, alerted as Jacoby. West, with a
LHO doubled, and my RHO, who held ♠ A-J- void in clubs now bid two clubs. The director
3, ♥ 10-9-4, ♦ K-3, ♣ Q-10-4-3-2, bid three was called, ruled that the insufficient call was
clubs, claiming that this showed a good conventional, and that East must now pass
hand. I don't understand why it should not be any sufficient call made by West. West now
very weak. bid and made six hearts. Has the law been
changed, or was this ruling correct?
— Disinformation, Casper, Wyo.
— No Justice, No Peace, Houston, Texas
ANSWER: I'm not sure I agree with your

RHO. He might have taken a shot at three ANSWER: Over the Jacoby bid, West clearly
no-trump himself, hoping to buy a diamond had a bidding box accident and so should be
stop or be able to run the clubs. But perhaps allowed to change his bid to three clubs. Had
he was playing that his call of two no-trump he really intended to bid two clubs, then if
was the Lebensohl convention, acting as a the next hand did not condone the call, the
transfer to three clubs. In that case a direct TD's ruling would be correct. However, the
three-club call would indeed be constructive "insufficient" law has recently been changed.
— but not forcing. If the insufficient call did not convey
additional information, then even if it were
conventional, it might be permitted. The laws
are not easy to enforce here.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
If I open one club or one diamond (playing
five-card majors, thus opening the so-called
better minor), do I have to have an honor in
the suit?
— Honor-Bound,Bellevue, Wash.
“The way is all so very plain

That we may lose the way.”
— G.K. Chesterton
Dealer: South North

When you end up in game, but when dummy comes Vul: East- ♠A
down, wish you were in slam, it often happens that you West ♥ A 10 7 2
♦ K Q J 10 6
get careless. Such was the case in this deal from the ♣972
finals of the national pairs, played at the Gold Coast, West East
♠Q32 ♠KJ95
where all this week's deals come from.
♥— ♥98653
♦5432 ♦97
You might argue that all that was required was basic ♣AQ8643 ♣J5
technique, and I would not disagree with you. But that South
♠ 10 8 7 6 4
proved surprisingly beyond many of the pairs here. ♥KQJ4
♦A8
If North-South had an unopposed sequence here they ♣ K 10
might well have gotten to six hearts. On a black-suit lead
you might be able to come to 12 tricks via six plain-suit 1♠ Pass 2♦ Pass
winners, four trumps and two spade ruffs. But on a red- 2♥ Pass 3♥ Pass
suit lead, you probably need the club finesse. 4♣ Pass 4♦ Pass
4♥ All pass
Let’s forget all that; you play four hearts on a diamond
Opening Lead: ♦5
lead and count 10 top tricks. You win the diamond ace
and cash the heart king … oops! What is the best way to recover? The answer is
surprisingly simple: cross to the diamond king and run diamonds; when East ruffs in, you
simply overruff and draw trump. That is 10 winners without relying on clubs at all.
So now are you ready to take the challenge: with the board played in four hearts 190
times, how many players went down? Would you believe one quarter of the declarers? I
admit that from the North seat on a club lead you have more of a challenge, but still, this
was probably not the field’s finest hour.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: With the clubs and hearts
South Holds: appearing to behave decently for declarer,
♠K83 the question is whether to go for the surprise
♥ 10 6 attack in spades or to lead your long suit,
♦AQ8632 even though declarer has announced a
♣J2 stopper. Personally I'd vote for the diamond,
but I can certainly see the case for the
South West North East spade lead.
Pass 1♣
2♦ 2♥ Pass 2 NT
Pass 3 NT All pass
“In theory it is easy to convince an ignorant person: in actual life, men not only object to
offer themselves to be convinced, but hate the man who has convinced them.”
— Epictetus
Dealer: West North

Today's deal, from the teams qualifier at the Gold Coast in Vul: Neither ♠ A J 7
Australia last year, was provided by Michael Courtney. He ♥K973
♦ Q 10
thought that the right play, while obvious, might easily be ♣J532
missed at the table. Let's see whether you agree. To make West East
♠82 ♠ 10 5 3
matters a little harder for you, I won't tell you who has the
♥ J 10 6 4 ♥AQ5
tough play. ♦974 ♦AJ653
♣AK98 ♣ 10 7
As West you decide not to lead a top club against two South
♠KQ964
spades. Partner can hardly be ruffing, and even if he ♥82
were, the trick may come back. Instead you lead a trump. ♦K82
♣Q64
This goes to the 10 and king, and declarer leads a
diamond to the queen and ace. Back comes the club 10. South West North East
You win, and … Pass Pass 1♦
1♠ Dbl. 2♦ Pass
At this moment you should pause to count. Your only 2♠ All pass
practical chance to set the hand is to take three club tricks
Opening Lead: ♠8
and one diamond, thus two tricks in the majors. Declarer
cannot have six trumps or he would not risk the club ruff, so the full deal is surely very like
the actual hand. You must shift to a heart to let partner win and go back to clubs so you
can give him the ruff. If you take the ruff at once you never score the second heart trick.
Well done, Alex Czapnik for making the play. Was the play found often? Apparently not.
The contract of two spades was declared about 100 times in all.
It was defeated 36 times and made eight or more tricks on 64 occasions.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Despite your good support for
South Holds: the minors, it is more practical to rebid two
♠AJ7 no-trump and limit your hand while getting
♥K973 across your good spade stop. You have not
♦ Q 10 ruled out playing in either minor, but have let
♣J532 your partner know the basic nature of your
hand. A raise to three clubs may stymie your
South West North East partner if he has modest extras but no spade
1♦ Pass stop.
1♥ 1♠ 2♣ Pass
?
“The dust of exploded beliefs may make a fine sunset.”

— Geoffrey Madan
Dealer: South North

All this week's deals come from last year's Gold Coast Vul: North- ♠A8
tournament in Australia. This year's event is taking place South ♥KQ82
♦Q9
this week, and you can follow the later stages on ♣ K Q 10 5 3
bridgebase.com. West East
♠KJ ♠ Q 10 7 5
♥A5 ♥ J 10 9 6
Today’s deal comes from the finals of the teams, where in
♦ A 10 8 ♦J7542
one room the contract was three no-trump declared by ♣J97642 ♣—
North. East led the heart jack, West ducked, and declarer South
♠96432
won and led a club to the ace, after which eight tricks ♥743
were the limit. Had declarer played the spade ace and ♦K63
♣A8
another spade at trick two, the defenders would have
been somewhat awkwardly placed, but West can avoid an South West North East
endplay by shifting to the club nine eventually. Pass 1♣ 1 NT Pass
2♣ Dbl. Rdbl. All pass
In the other room Ishmael Del’Monte judged well to use
Stayman rather than transferring to spades. West’s double Opening Lead: ♣2
was less well judged and both North and South made him
pay.
West led a low trump against two clubs redoubled, and Del’Monte won cheaply in hand,
led a heart to the king, passed the diamond queen, ducked all round, and now ducked a
heart to West’s bare ace. Back came a low club to the ace, and Del’Monte led a spade
upon which West correctly unblocked his king to let East win the spade queen at the next
trick.
However, when East mistakenly exited with a heart, West had to ruff and could do no
better than exit with the diamond ace and another diamond. That left Del’Monte in hand
for the trump coup. Nine tricks was worth a cool 1160 — a number you don’t see every
day.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: This is a close call. Do you
South Holds: repeat a bad six-card suit or pass? Because
♠KJ of the looseness of the club opening in
♥A5 Standard American, I would vote for
♦ A 10 8 rebidding clubs, allowing partner to join in if
♣J97642 (as will inevitably happen) the opponents
compete to the two-level.
1♣ 1♦ 1♥ 1♠
?
“There is no calamity greater than lavish desires.

There is no greater guilt than discontentment.
And there is no greater disaster than greed.”
— Lao-tzu
Dealer: South North

In today's deal, from the 2010 Gold Coast event in Vul: Neither ♠ Q 8 3 2
Australia, a straightforward auction would be the one ♥A876
♦A9
shown here. With five hearts East would check back for a ♣AJ9
4-4 spade fit by using checkback so his actual auction West East
♠J7 ♠ 10 9 6 4
should show only four hearts.
♥K2 ♥ J 10 5 4
♦ 10 8 7 6 5 4 2 ♦Q3
In six no-trump on a passive diamond lead, declarer wins ♣74 ♣ 10 8 3
and must develop one extra trick from the majors. Best is South
♠AK5
to go after hearts first, to take advantage of the chances in ♥Q93
both majors. ♦KJ
♣KQ652
At one table Anton Blagov went after hearts by leading
low from dummy, and when East played low without 1♣ Pass 1♥ Pass
discomfort, judged that she could not have the king, so he 2 NT Pass 3♠ Pass
inserted the nine successfully. However, the normal play is 3 NT Pass 6 NT All pass
to lead a heart to the queen, losing to the king.
Opening Lead: ♦6
Best for West is to return a diamond now. Declarer cashes
the heart ace himself (the Vienna Coup), then runs the clubs. In the four-card ending,
declarer has the heart nine and three spades left, and dummy has its four spades. What
can East keep? Answer: nothing works. What you mustn’t do as declarer is test spades
early. If you run the spades before the hearts, you will disrupt your own communications.
Bulletin editor David Stern noted that his mother, Gerda, brought home the slam, but 80 or
so declarers went down in six no-trump by playing spades prematurely. An alternative and
unsuccessful approach here would have been to endplay East with a spade to lead
hearts, but the recommended approach is a better percentage play.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Facing a balanced 22-24, you
South Holds: have just enough to explore for game. Best
♠ 10 9 6 4 is to bid three clubs, using this call as
♥ J 10 5 4 Stayman just as it would be if your partner
♦Q3 had opened two no-trump. Equally, if you
♣ 10 8 3 play transfers over the opening two-no-
trump call, you would be able to show a five-
South West North East card major if you had one.
2♣ Pass
2♦ Pass 2 NT Pass
?
“To say silly things by chance and weakness is a common misfortune, but to say them
intentionally is intolerable.”
— Blaise Pascal
Dealer: East North

In today's deal from the Gold Coast tournament the 3-1 Vul: East- ♠ K Q 10 9 8 3
heart break suggests that no game can be made against West ♥A8
♦AJ2
best defense. But who puts up the best defense? ♣A9
West East
When Michelle Brunner was South, she played in four ♠AJ4 ♠762
hearts on a top club lead. She could not afford to duck for ♥ 10 ♥KJ7
♦9543 ♦ K Q 10 6
fear of the diamond shift, so she won and played the ♣KQ532 ♣J87
spade king. West won, and now needed to play a trump at South
♠5
once; not unreasonably, he cashed the club queen before ♥Q965432
playing the trump 10, and Brunner now read the position ♦87
♣ 10 6 4
perfectly.
She won the trump ace, played the spade queen, ruffed a Pass
spade, went to the diamond ace, and led another spade. If Pass Pass 1♠ Pass
East discarded, she would pitch her club loser and play a Pass 2♣ Dbl. Pass
3♥ Pass 3♠ Pass
second trump. When East ruffed in, she overruffed, ruffed
4♥ All pass
a club to dummy, and gave up just the one trump trick.
Opening Lead: ♣K
At another table Pablo Lambardi declared game as North.
East led a top diamond and was allowed to hold the trick. This is the sort of deal where
partnerships playing count signals will (justly) find themselves at a loss. How can West let
East know what to do, since he cannot really afford to overtake the diamond king?
As it was, when the diamond king held the trick, West showing an even number, East
continued the suit. Now declarer simply won and drove out the spade ace to establish two
discards for dummy’s club losers.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: A convention invented
South Holds: simultaneously by Robert Jordan and Alan
♠762 Truscott 50 years ago allows responder to
♥KJ7 show a limit range (after a major suit has
♦ K Q 10 6 been doubled) by jumping to two no-trump.
♣J87 Jump support shows, instead, a pre-emptive
raise. It is easy to extend this principle to
South West North East use it after a minor has been doubled. With
1♦ Dbl. a balanced hand you can start by
? redoubling.
“It is as well to know the limitations of force; to know where to blend force with maneuver,
assault with conciliation.”
— Leon Trotsky
Dealer: East North

At the Gold Coast last year the deal shown today came Vul: East- ♠KQ5
up. Three Souths out of four opened one no-trump and West ♥A9
♦ J 10 8 7 5
wrapped up at least nine tricks in three no-trump. John ♣432
Holland, however, was playing a weak no-trump, so the West East
♠— ♠ J 10 8 7 4
auction went very differently.
♥ K J 10 7 6 3 ♥42
♦9432 ♦K6
Tislevoll led three rounds of clubs. Declarer won in hand ♣AK7 ♣ 10 9 6 5
and led a low trump to the queen, finding the bad news. South
♠A9632
Then came a diamond finesse, and when the diamond ♥Q85
ace dropped the king, suddenly there was hope. Holland ♦AQ
♣QJ8
led a low spade to the king and ran the diamonds.
The winning defense for East is to ruff the first diamond Pass
with an intermediate trump. (Even a low trump will do, 1♠ 2♥ 3♥ Pass
though it is a little harder work.) Declarer can do no better 4♠ All pass
than discard a heart. Back comes a heart, won in dummy,
Opening Lead: ♣K
and East ruffs the next diamond to leave declarer with a
heart loser.
In fact East pitched a heart on the diamond jack, and also on the next diamond, as did
Holland. When the third diamond was led, East ruffed with an intermediate trump, and
Holland could see that discarding a heart would fail when East played a club, since he
would have to win in hand. Meanwhile, overruffing with the spade ace would fail when he
led a heart to dummy since East would score both his trumps.
So he underruffed. Whatever East did next, declarer could win the next trick in dummy
and take the rest.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: This is a takeout double,
South Holds: suggesting a decent hand, probably with two
♠A9632 spades. Since your opponents appear to
♥Q85 have a 4-4 heart fit and your LHO must
♦AQ surely be very weak, you should jump to
♣QJ8 three no-trump, hoping to be able to set up
one minor or both for the extra tricks you
South West North East need.
1♦ Pass 1♥
1♠ 2♥ Dbl. Pass
?

Recently I had a ruling against us which I did How would you raise your partner when the
not understand. My expert professional LHO auction proceeds around the table one
overcalled one no-trump over my one-spade diamond – one spade – two clubs, to you,
opening. My partner jumped to four spades, holding ♠ Q-10-3, ♥ K-10-3, ♦ K-10-5-3, ♣ K-
and after a long pause my RHO passed. 10-4? At the table I thought that a gentle
When it came back to my LHO, he bid five cue-bid of two diamonds would suffice, since
clubs and found it to be a good save. Is this both opponents were bidding strongly. But it
legal? turned out that we missed a game.
— Hot Under the Collar, Ketchikan, Alaska — Undercooked, Lorain, Ohio
ANSWER: After a break in tempo, as here, ANSWER: You have not provided me with
the way the director should consider if the the responding hand, but I'd say you did just
pause pointed to taking the action selected fine here. As a general rule the higher cue-
by the player. If it did, was the selected bid (especially if it takes the auction up a
action an automatic one or was there a level, as here) shows at least an opening
logical alternative? If the answer to the first bid. Your choice of the lower cue-bid
question is yes, then the director would suggested a sound raise to the two-level,
adjust the score unless there was no logical and it is not clear that you have any more
alternative to the successful action. I'm than that.
guessing the director determined that a slow
pass of four spades did not imply that the
sacrifice would be successful. Dear Mr. Wolff:
Last week I held one of the strongest hands I
Dear Mr. Wolff: ever held. My RHO opened two diamonds
and I was looking at ♠ A-K-10-8-7-5-3, ♥ A-
I held ♠ K-10-9-4, ♥ K-10-5-3, ♦ 10-4-2, ♣ A- K-Q-J-4, ♦ —, ♣ Q. Should I double and then
Q and was faced with the problem of bid spades, ignoring the hearts, should I
whether to open in third seat and if so jump in spades, or is there a better
whether to open a major or a minor. What do approach? As the cards lie, partner has both
you advise? minor-suit aces and a spade void, but seven
hearts is cold.
— Lost Leader, Pleasanton, Calif.
— Upward Bound, Harrisburg, Pa.
ANSWER: In any seat but third seat I would

open one diamond. In third chair my ANSWER: Cue-bidding to show a two-suiter
diamonds look too weak for me toopen one with the majors seems a good way to start.
diamond. With a good four-card major I The cue-bid (or even a call of four diamonds,
might select that instead –but I do not have showing the majors and a better hand) to be
one! I'll live with the one-diamond opening followed with five spades to show a hand
and hope my LHO does not overcall one no- with longer spades than hearts and 11 tricks
trump. in your own hand, might let partner bid
seven hearts. Incidentally, jumping in spades
should be strong, while doubling, then
Dear Mr. Wolff: bidding or jumping in spades, is even
stronger. But you can't ignore the hearts
In my bridge club we play the short club or here.
diamond. If my partner bids one club or one
diamond, can I pass, or must I bid the next
step up?
— Moving On, Great Falls, Mont.
ANSWER: I assume what you mean is that

playing five-card majors, you can open either
minor on a three-card suit, not a two-carder.
If so, these opening bids are nonforcing, but
you may dredge up a response with a
shortage in the suit opened. With a four-
count and a five-card major but a singleton
in partner's suit, I would indeed respond. I'd
tend to pass one diamond more often than
one club, since the former call does tend to
deliver a real suit most of the time.
“And now the matchless deed's achieved,

Determined, dared, and done.”
— Christopher Smart
Dealer: South North

Today's deal features a problem in both the bidding and Vul: East- ♠KQ6
the play. After West doubles one spade, North redoubles West ♥AQ62
♦A6532
to show a good hand, South rebids two spades to show a ♣7
minimum hand with six spades, and North can make a West East
♠2 ♠ J 10 8
splinter raise to four clubs to show a singleton club and
♥ J 10 9 4 ♥53
spade support. That lets South show his diamond control, ♦KQJ ♦ 10 9 8 4
and North follows up with Blackwood for aces, then with ♣KQJ65 ♣ 10 9 8 3
South
five no-trump for specific kings. When South shows the ♠A97543
heart king, North takes a shot at the grand slam, taking ♥K87
♦7
the reasonable gamble that his side can take enough ♣A42
tricks from club ruffs in his hand, or that declarer can
establish diamonds. South West North East
1♠ Dbl. Rdbl. Pass
The lead of the club king goes to the ace. Next comes a 2♠ Pass 4♣ Pass
4♦ Pass 4 NT Pass
club ruff, the spade king, the diamond ace, and a diamond 5♥ Pass 5 NT Pass
ruff. 6♥* Pass 7♠ All pass
*Showing the heart king
This is followed by the spade queen, a second diamond
ruff, and the spade ace, while the heart two is thrown from Opening Lead: ♣K
dummy. A heart to the queen for a further diamond ruff is
followed by the heart king, and dummy is high.
The advantage of following this line of play is that declarer gets to discover whether the
diamonds are going to break before he has to discard from dummy on the third top spade.
Had East discarded on the third diamond, then the play of the last trump from South’s
hand would have squeezed West if he had begun with five diamonds and four hearts.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: On this auction, dummy will put
South Holds: down four spades while declarer will have
♠Q9642 four hearts. Since both minor suits are
♥J54 extremely unattractive to lead from, I
♦Q3 suggest you might as well lead from your
♣A83 five-card suit. Since you have the balance of
high cards on defense, it might work out well
South West North East to lead a deceptive spade two.
1 NT
Pass 2♣ Pass 2♥
Pass 3 NT All pass
The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, January 31st, 2012
“Nothing needs a Trick but a Trick; Sincerity loathes one.”

— William Penn
Dealer: South North

When dummy comes down in four spades on a top club Vul: North- ♠K74
lead, it is easy to see that there are now three established South ♥53
♦AKJ92
fast losers (two hearts and one club) and declarer has to ♣643
find a way to dispose of his third-round heart loser. West East
♠ J 10 5 ♠6
♥KJ82 ♥A974
The natural approach might be to win the club and duck a
♦74 ♦Q863
heart, but the defenders can prevail by continuing the ♣KQJ8 ♣9752
attack on clubs. Now if South plays a second heart, East South
♠AQ9832
will win and play back a spade. If South takes the heart ♥ Q 10 6
ruff in dummy he can only escape from the North hand by ♦ 10 5
♣ A 10
leading diamonds, promoting a trump trick for West.
An alternative approach of taking the diamond finesse 1♠ Pass 2♦ Pass
also fails as the cards lie, since the defenders now have 2♠ Pass 4♠ All pass
four top winners, while ruffing a diamond before drawing
trump seems to establish a trump trick for West. So what’s Opening Lead: ♣K
left?
The winning line is straightforward enough, but hard to spot. South wins the club lead and
cashes the spade ace. When both opponents follow, he takes the ace and king of
diamonds, then leads the diamond jack, planning to pitch a club if East follows low. This
line virtually insures the contract no matter who has the diamond queen. If East covers the
diamond jack, South must ruff high, then cross to the spade king to lead a diamond winner
and pitch the club loser. No matter what happens next, he can lose no more than two
hearts and one trump.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your hand has real slam potential
South Holds: (imagine the facing hand with six good
♠K74 spades and the diamond queen plus the two
♥53 other aces). Alas, since a bid of four
♦AKJ92 diamonds would be natural, not a cue-bid,
♣643 you must bid four hearts now. In such a
space-constrained auction, this simply
South West North East shows a good spade raise, neither promising
3♥ 3♠ Pass nor denying a heart control. Second choice:
?
a pessimistic raise to four spades.
The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, February 1st, 2012
“Worm, be with me.

This is my hard time”
— Theodore Roethke
Dealer: South North

What would you say declarer's chances of making 11 Vul: Both ♠A654
tricks are in today's deal? You appear to have a spade ♥A984
♦KQ8
loser and maybe two trumps as well. If you fancy your ♣ K 10
chances, let's up the ante a little: you are playing six West East
♠KQJ932 ♠ 10
hearts, not five, and the defenders lead the spade king to
♥— ♥ J 10 7 6 5
your ace. You cash the heart king, finding the extremely ♦J954 ♦ 10 3 2
bad news. Rather than give up, you decide to play on, ♣962 ♣8754
South
cashing your side-suit winners, just to see what happens. ♠87
♥KQ32
You try to take all four of your club winners, pitching ♦A76
♣AQJ3
spades from the board, and fortunately East has to follow
suit to all of them. Next come the three top diamonds, and South West North East
again both defenders follow suit dutifully. You have 1 NT 2♠ 2 NT* Pass
reduced to a four-card ending with three trumps and a 3♣ Pass 3♠ Pass
4♥ Pass 4 NT Pass
losing spade in each hand. 5♣ Pass 6♥ All pass
Next comes the spade loser. West tries to win the trick, *Transfer to three clubs
but to his disgust, East will have to ruff his partner’s Opening Lead: ♠K
winner. In the three-card ending East is reduced to the J-
10-7 of hearts. Since a low heart play would be immediately fatal, East must exit with a
top heart. Declarer wins in dummy and runs the heart nine, winning the last two tricks.
Contract made!
Incidentally, the right trump to lead to the first trick is a high heart from South. Tghhat way
you can pick up a singleton 10 or jack in either defender’s hand.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Even if you play weak-jump
South Holds: responses to opening bids in competition,
♠KQJ932 this hand is far too strong for such an action.
♥— In fact your diamond fit and heart shortage
♦J954 suggest strongly that you should be
♣962 considering bidding four spades at once,
thus making your opponents' task of
South West North East estimating where they belong as hard as
1♦ 1♥ possible.
?
The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, February 2nd, 2012
“The soldier is … exact in sums, master of the art of tactics.”

— Walter Bagehot
Dealer: South North

The play by fourth hand on any trick tends to be a case of Vul: Neither ♠ A J 10
winning when you can, and playing small when you can't. ♥632
♦KQ75
But there is scope for both the tactical and strategic duck ♣ J 10 4
in fourth chair. West East
♠943 ♠8765
♥KQ95 ♥87
By using these terms, I am trying to differentiate between
♦ 10 8 3 ♦962
a play calculated to increase your trick-taking potential ♣KQ3 ♣A965
within the suit (a tactical play) and one where no further South
♠KQ2
tricks are gained from the suit (in fact, you may even ♥ A J 10 4
sacrifice tricks), but you end up with more tricks overall ♦AJ4
♣872
than if you had not made the play.
Today’s deal is an example of a tactical duck — a 1 NT Pass 3 NT All pass
variation on the Bath Coup. West leads a top heart
(suggesting a king-queen holding without the jack) against Opening Lead: ♥Q
three no-trump, and East’s discouraging seven may be
hard for West to read. If you win the first trick and play on clubs, you might persuade West
to win and continue hearts.
But you may feel you are better advised to duck the trick; however that is not enough. If
you follow with the four, West will know his partner’s card was a small one, so he will
switch, and you are unlikely to get a second heart trick without letting the defenders find
the club shift.
Better might be to duck trick one and follow with the 10 from hand. West will now ‘know’
his partner has a high heart and surely will continue the suit. That will give you your ninth
trick.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Facing a two-level overcall,
South Holds: which promises both a decent suit and about
♠ A J 10 an opening bid in high-card strength, there is
♥632 a lot to be said for simply blasting to three
♦KQ75 no-trump at once. However, the defenders
♣ J 10 4 might be able to run the hearts against you.
The alternative approach is to cue-bid two
South West North East diamonds and rebid two no-trump — but that
1♦ 2♣ Pass probably will not help you find a heart
? stopper.
The Aces on Bridge: Friday, February 3rd, 2012
“Veil, if ill, thy soul's intent:

Let me think it innocent!”
— Maria Gowen Brooks
Dealer: South North

Today's deal was reported by Ron Klinger of Australia, the Vul: East- ♠AQ7
innocent party defending from the West seat and a West ♥42
♦AQ64
serious candidate for the best-played hand of the year. To ♣J983
test yourself (and see whether you too could be a world- West East
♠K832 ♠6
beater!), cover up the East and West cards.
♥ K 10 5 ♥J987
♦73 ♦ J 10 8 5 2
Where would you like to play the hand? The spade slam ♣ 10 6 5 4 ♣Q72
looks entirely playable since it has excellent chances if South
♠ J 10 9 5 4
either of the major-suit finesses works. Is there anything ♥AQ63
that can be done if the kings do not cooperate? Let’s see! ♦K9
♣AK
Yoshiyuki Nakamura and Masayuki Nakamura were South
and North respectively. 1♠ Pass 2♣* Pass
2♥ Pass 2♠ Pass
Nakamura reached slam, won the diamond lead in hand, 3♣ Pass 3♦ Pass
passed the spade jack successfully, unblocked both top 4 NT Pass 5♠ Pass
club honors, played a spade to the queen, and found that 6♠ All pass
the 4-1 fit meant he had a virtually sure loser in that suit. *Game-forcing
Opening Lead: ♦7
Rather than relying on the heart finesse, Nakamura
postponed the decision. He ruffed a club, then took the
diamond ace, spade ace, and club jack, and led the diamond queen. In the four-card
ending, West was down to the spade king and the heart K-10-5. If he ruffed, he would
have been endplayed to lead a heart into declarer’s tenace, so he discarded a heart, and
South now ruffed his last diamond in hand. This time West had no choice but to overruff,
or the heart ace would have been declarer’s 12th trick, but he finally had to concede the
last two tricks to declarer’s A-Q of hearts.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your partner's negative double
South Holds: suggests precisely four spades. With no
♠AQ7 heart stopper and no comfortable rebid (a
♥42 call of two clubs strongly tends to suggest 5-
♦AQ64 4 in the minors), best is to bid one spade.
♣J983 Your partner should know that bidding a
three-carder here is a live possibility. After
South West North East all, a jump to two spades would suggest no
1♦ 1♥ Dbl. Pass more than 12-14, but a shapely hand with
? four spades.
The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, February 4th, 2012
“Man … plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven

As make the angels weep.”
Dealer: East North

In today's deal, Hall of Famer Tommy Sanders declared Vul: North- ♠J654
an optimistic contract of four hearts, after West had South ♥76
♦8
overcalled in spades and his partner had cue-bid to show ♣KJ8653
a strong raise. West East
♠ A Q 10 9 3 ♠K72
After an opening diamond lead, the obvious thing to do ♥3 ♥ 10 8 5 2
♦Q952 ♦ K 10 7 4
was to win the ace and ruff a diamond. But then there ♣ Q 10 2 ♣A4
would be no quick entry to the South hand for the second South
♠8
diamond ruff, and the contract would fail even if South ♥AKQJ94
made a winning guess in clubs. ♦AJ63
♣97
Sanders instead played low from dummy at trick one and
ducked East’s diamond king. This neither gained nor lost Pass
a trick, but it created an illusion. West was now convinced 1♥ 1♠ Pass 2♥
that his partner held the diamond ace. East predictably 2♠ Pass 3♣ Pass
3♥ Pass 4♥ All pass
shifted to a trump, and South won with the ace and ruffed
a diamond. When he led a spade from the dummy, East Opening Lead: ♦2
could have saved his partner by putting up the king. When
he played low and West won with the nine, West confidently led a diamond, and was
discomfited to find that South could take two diamond tricks. Sanders then made the
winning guess in clubs, since East was almost sure to have the club ace for his two-heart
cue-bid.
Of course, West had assumed that if East had the diamond ace, South was bound to have
the club ace and would be able to run the clubs if West continued passively with spades.
However, if that were the position, South would have played on clubs not spades after
ruffing the diamond.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: The best action here depends on
South Holds: vulnerability and style. If I am vulnerable,
♠J654 wild horses could not drag an opening out of
♥76 me; but at favorable vulnerability if my
♦8 partnership style was to pre-empt
♣KJ8653 aggressively, I might pre-empt to three clubs.
Passing is not wrong — it all depends on
South West North East whether nonvulnerable pre-empts are
? designed more to obstruct the opponents
than start a constructive dialogue.
The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, February 5th, 2012

Playing rubber bridge with an expert partner, With both sides not vulnerable, the bidding
I held ♠ 9-8-3-2, ♥ A-7-4, ♦ Q-9-7, ♣ A-Q-10. started with one diamond in first seat by my
I responded one spade to one diamond, and RHO. Holding ♠ 3-2, ♥ A-K-9-7-6-5-4-2, ♦ A-
when my partner jumped to three clubs, I J, ♣ 7, I bid four hearts. After five diamonds
gave preference to three diamonds. Now my by my LHO, my partner bid five spades! With
partner bid three no-trump. What would you no real clue as to what was going on, I
recommend next? passed eventually, and we made six.
(Partner had seven solid spades and three
— Great Expectations, Dover, Del. small doubletons.) Should I have bid on?
Was five spades forcing?
ANSWER: Facing likely short spades in my — Hot Spot, Marion, Iowa
partner's hand, I'd expect him to be 5-5 or 5-
4 and 18-19 points. With no wasted values in
spades, I have enough for a jump to five no- ANSWER: I think some might play the five-
trump to get my partner to pick a slam — spade bid as lead-directing with a heart fit,
although, to be frank, I cannot immediately helping to plan the defense. But overall the
see when any slam but six diamonds should natural interpretation seems better to me.
be in the picture. While I would be reluctant to bid six spades,
I might have risked a call of five no-trump.
This covers all bases if in fact what your
Dear Mr. Wolff: partner had was a concealed heart fit and a
request for a spade lead.
I often have problems with 9-11 points and
five hearts facing a one spade opening. As
an unpassed hand I cannot bid two hearts, Dear Mr. Wolff:
which would be forcing to game and
overstate my values. But if I bid a forcing no- Recently you ran an interesting play problem
trump and my partner responds in a possible that featured declarer in five spades
three-carder, how can I safely introduce doubled, after he had responded one spade
hearts or show my values? at his first turn after his partner had opened
one diamond, doubled on his right. His hand
— Tight Fit, Selma, Ala. was ♠ A-Q-9-7, ♥ 9-6-5, ♦ 2, ♣ 10-9-8-5-4.
My question is whether South's bid of one
spade should show at least five cards or
ANSWER: A solution exists over opener's whether it is best simply to ignore the
two-club rebid but it requires some double.
artificiality. Use responder's rebid of two
diamonds to show various hands including — Double Trouble, Duke City, New Mexico
those with values and five hearts, while his
rebid of two hearts should show six. This
was invented by Les Bart; details, including ANSWER: After a minor is doubled, any
more complex versions that allow you to five-card major is good enough to bid, and
unwind the problems caused by the forcing any major of four cards where you are happy
no-trump, can be found here. to be raised on three to an honor. A hand on
the cusp would be declarer's hand, where he
had four spades to the ace in a balanced
Dear Mr. Wolff: hand and an eight count. He might opt for
one no-trump.
You hold ♠ Q-10 ♥ K-J-9, ♦ A-Q-7-4, ♦ A-Q-9-
3, and open one club. When your partner
responds one spade, I assume you would
jump to two no-trump, and now your partner
bids four hearts. What should you expect
your partner to hold?
— Space Cadet, Twin Falls, Idaho
ANSWER: This is a tricky one. With spades

and hearts and slam interest you know
partner would bid three hearts first, then
make a slam-try if he found a fit. But is your
partner making a self-agreeing splinter (I
think not, without prior discussion), or
showing a weak hand with both majors and
asking you to pass or correct? That would be
my best guess, but I do see the specter of
disaster hovering over my shoulder as I
extract the pass card from the box!
The Aces on Bridge: Monday, February 6th, 2012
“It's them as take advantage that get advantage i' this world.”
— George Eliot
Dealer: West North

Sitting South, plan the play in three no-trump. West leads Vul: East- ♠Q6
the spade two and East plays the 10! West ♥AKJ96
♦K64
♣A72
Having been favored by a friendly defense at trick one, West East
don’t waste it. This hand is about combining your ♠A952 ♠ K 10 7 4 3
♥8752 ♥Q4
chances. You could play for nine tricks by simply taking
♦Q3 ♦987
the diamond finesse or the heart finesse, but whichever ♣ 10 6 3 ♣K95
you do, you are consigning your fate to a play that is no South
♠J8
better than a 50 percent shot. Clearly taking the diamond ♥ 10 3
finesse by leading the king, then low to the jack, is the ♦ A J 10 5 2
♣QJ84
best finesse to take (since a 5-1 heart break may prevent
you from taking five tricks even when the finesse works, South West North East
while running the diamond jack may not give you enough Pass 1♥ Pass
tricks against 4-1 diamonds). But can you do better? 1 NT Pass 2 NT Pass
3 NT All pass
First, try safely for five diamond tricks by cashing the
Opening Lead: ♠2
diamond king and ace. Your chances of dropping the
queen missing five are quite robust — in fact that will happen about 30 percent of the
time. But if the diamond queen doesn’t drop, you should run the heart 10, hoping the
queen is right and you can make five hearts. Your combined chances come to about two
chances in three — quite an improvement on the simple finesse.
Finally, let’s revisit the defense. East erred by playing the spade 10 at trick one. If West
had led from jack-fourth of spades, declarer would have had the doubleton ace and would
surely have played the queen from dummy.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: To pass out your negative
South Holds: double, North rates either to be balanced
♠KJ2 without a four-card major or to have a club-
♥ Q 10 8 5 2 diamond two-suiter. It might be right to lead
♦74 a spade to try to cash winners before spade
♣K84 losers go on dummy's hearts, but that is a
very long shot. It looks logical to choose
South West North East between the minors, and my vote goes to
1♣ 3♦ clubs — which rates to do nothing for
Dbl. All pass
declarer he cannot do himself.
The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, February 7th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on February 21st, 2012
“Toil, brothers, toil, till the work is done,

Till the struggle is o’er, and the Charter won!”
— Thomas Cooper
Dealer: South North

If you can focus on the problem in today's deal, you are Vul: Both ♠ 10 6 2
halfway to solving the problem. As South, declarer in ♥95
♦9842
three no-trump, you win the heart lead and can count ♣KQ95
eight tricks only. West East
♠J95 ♠KQ84
To establish your ninth winner, you need to set up a ♥ A 10 8 7 3 2 ♥J4
♦J73 ♦ Q 10 5
diamond trick, but you cannot simply lead out three ♣3 ♣8642
rounds of diamonds or East will win and play back a South
♠A73
second heart, letting West run that suit. So you need to ♥KQ6
keep East off play for the duration of the deal. ♦AK6
♣ A J 10 7
Having established a plan, you cash the club ace at trick
two, playing the club five from dummy, then lead the club 2 NT Pass 3 NT All pass
jack to the king to advance the diamond nine.
Opening Lead: ♥7
East must cover or you will let the nine run. Now you win
the diamond ace, on which West should let the diamond seven go, and play the club 10
back to the queen in dummy in order to lead the diamond eight from the board. East can
cover by putting up the queen, but you can win the king. What is West to do? If he plays
low, declarer exits with a diamond and West must win his jack. But if he unblocks the jack,
then declarer’s six will unexpectedly be high.
In summary, if declarer is to make his contract, he needs the diamonds to be 3-3 and
West to win the defense’s diamond trick. So East can have no more than two of the
defense’s four top diamonds.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Since the jump to three
South Holds: diamonds is game-forcing, you cannot pass,
♠ 10 6 2 much as you might like to. I think fewer
♥95 problems will come from giving false-
♦9842 preference to three hearts than from raising
♣KQ95 diamonds. On this auction a doubleton heart
is all your partner has a right to expect.
1♥ Pass
1 NT Pass 3♦ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, February 8th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on February 22nd, 2012
“Reflection, you may come tomorrow,

Sit by the fireside with Sorrow.”
— Percy Bysshe Shelley
Dealer: North North

Sometimes the problem in a bridge deal becomes evident Vul: North- ♠ K 10 8 6
at trick one; on other occasions the difficulties only South ♥ 10 5 2
♦A93
become apparent later. Into which category does today's ♣AQ6
deal fall? You are South in six spades on the diamond West East
♠J7 ♠42
queen lead, and I'll give you the hint that trumps do not
♥K?64 ♥?83
break 4-0. ♦QJ87 ♦ 10 6 4 2
♣743 ♣ J 10 9 2
I hope you decided that the problem resides solely in South
♠AQ953
hearts. If you can avoid losing two tricks in that suit, you ♥AQ7
should make your slam. With trumps to spare in both ♦K5
♣K85
hands, you should be looking to strip the hand of the side-
suits, eliminate the trumps, then force the defenders to South West North East
help you out. 1♣ Pass
1♠ Pass 2♠ Pass
So win the lead in hand, draw trumps, then play a 3♣ Pass 3♠ Pass
4 NT Pass 5♥ Pass
diamond to the ace and ruff a diamond. Now cash three
6♠ All pass
rounds of clubs, ending in dummy, and exit with a heart,
planning to cover East’s card. If East plays a low, you can Opening Lead: ♦Q
put in the seven and claim the balance, but what if he
plays the eight? You try the queen, but it loses to the king. Back comes a low heart —
should you put the 10 up or play low from dummy?
The correct answer is to play low from dummy. East is more likely to the eight or nine than
both cards. This is an example of the principle of Restricted Choice, where if East had the
9-8, he would have had a choice of cards to play at his first turn.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Tempting as it might be to bid
South Holds: three no-trump, your hand was not worth a
♠AQ953 drive to game at your first turn and has not
♥AQ7 become so when partner's response
♦K5 promises no more than 5-6 points. You can
♣K85 describe your hand precisely by raising to
two no-trump. This shows a balanced 18-19
South West North East count and lets partner tell you what he has.
1♠ Pass 1 NT Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, February 9th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on February 23rd, 2012
“We spend our midday sweat, our midnight oil;

We tire the night in thought, the day in toil.”
— Francis Quarles
Dealer: West North

Against four hearts, West leads the spade king. Good Vul: North- ♠743
deceptive declarer play is to drop the spade eight on this South ♥QJ8
♦A94
trick, trying to persuade West that East's spade five is ♣AQJ6
high, not low. But West was not born yesterday. He West East
♠AKJ ♠ 10 9 6 5
refuses to take the bait, instead switching to the diamond
♥532 ♥7
queen. Plan the play from here on. ♦ Q J 10 5 ♦8732
♣732 ♣ K 10 9 5
The first key point to bear in mind is that since West South
♠Q82
passed as dealer and has already shown up with 10 ♥ A K 10 9 6 4
points, East must have the club king. If you take an early ♦K6
♣84
club finesse, East will win his king and shift back to
spades, setting up four winners for the defenders. How South West North East
can you avoid the need for taking the club finesse? Pass 1♣ Pass
1♥ Pass 1 NT Pass
The answer is rather subtle: duck the diamond queen, win 4♥ All pass
the diamond continuation, and play the heart king and a
Opening Lead: ♠K
heart to the jack. Cash the diamond ace (discarding a
club) and club ace, and take the ruffing club finesse.
It would not have done West any good to cash the spade ace at trick three, since you
would have the rest of the tricks without needing to work hard. But note that West might
have worked out to shift to the diamond jack so as not to give the show away. It would not
matter if East was confused about the location of the diamond honors since he does not
need to know what is going on.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: With a maximum in the 12-14
South Holds: range and a heart stop, a contract rates to
♠743 play just as well with you as declarer, I would
♥QJ8 bid one no-trump now. Conceivably three
♦A94 no-trump might be better from your partner's
♣AQJ6 hand, but you cannot afford to pass up the
opportunity to bid no-trump at your first turn,
South West North East or you may not get another chance.
1♣ Pass 1♦ 1♥
?
The Aces on Bridge: Friday, February 10th, 2012
“But let us argue points in order,

And reason the whole case carefully.”
— Edgar Lee Masters
Dealer: South North

After this relatively long auction to six spades, West knew Vul: Neither ♠ A 10 9 6
enough to lead the heart three. How would you plan the ♥A87
♦A8632
play? ♣K
West East
When trumps are 3-2 and clubs no worse that 4-2, you ♠2 ♠J753
can make the contract by winning the heart ace, cashing ♥ Q 10 6 3 ♥KJ954
♦KJ94 ♦Q7
the club king, drawing trumps ending in hand, and ruffing ♣ 10 8 5 2 ♣J9
a low club. You will make four trumps, the red aces, five South
♠KQ84
clubs and a club ruff. ♥2
♦ 10 5
However, whereas trumps are a favorite to split, clubs rate ♣AQ7643
to be 4-2 rather than 3-3, so you should try to protect
against the expected as well as unexpected bad breaks. If 1♣ Pass 1♦ Pass
one player has long spades, you hope it is East — but you 1♠ Pass 2♥ Pass
still need to be careful. 3♣ Pass 3♠ Pass
4♣ Pass 4♦ Pass
After winning the heart ace and cashing the club king, you 4♠ Pass 4 NT Pass
5♠ Pass 6♠ All pass
need to manipulate the trump suit. Suppose you
carelessly play the spade ace followed by the six to your Opening Lead: ♥3
king. When you continue with a club ruff, you will be left
with the bare spade 10 on the table. East will not cover when you lead it, and you will
have no safe way to draw his last trump. One down!
The winning play after cashing the spade ace is to lead the spade 10 to the king. You ruff
a low club with the nine and then play dummy’s trump six, finessing the eight in your hand.
You can then draw the last trump with the queen and claim the contract.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: If you are unwilling to pass,
South Holds: should you overcall, double, or bid one no-
♠ A 10 9 6 trump? The last option is unpalatable for
♥A87 more than one reason, and a two-level
♦A8632 overcall in your weak diamond suit might
♣K have you banned from bridge. What's left is
a canape one-spade overcall, or — my
South West North East choice — a double. I'd be planning to
1♥ convert a two-club response to two
? diamonds, pretending I have a little more
than I do.
“When the truth entails tremendous ruin,

To speak dishonorably is pardonable.”
— Sophocles
Dealer: North North

Today's deal shows how you can achieve remarkable Vul: East- ♠ Q J 10 8
results with smoke and mirrors. West ♥AKJ3
♦983
♣ 10 9
Even if North had passed, you might still reach a delicate West East
four -spade contract from the South seat. Looking at the ♠K54 ♠72
East and West cards, you would assume the contract was ♥964 ♥ 10 8 5
♦AQ4 ♦ K 10 7 6
doomed, but West gives you a respite when he leads a ♣K765 ♣J843
club at trick one. It does not appear at first glance that this South
♠A963
will be quite enough of a helping hand. ♥Q72
♦J52
If you win the trick cheaply and cross to a top heart in ♣AQ2
dummy, then take the spade finesse. West wins, and
knowing you have the missing club and spade honors, he 1♦ Pass
rates to shift to a diamond, doesn’t he? East can help his 1♠ Pass 2♠ Pass
partner in the decision-making process if his side is 3 NT Pass 4♠ All pass
playing suit preference in trumps. He would then follow
Opening Lead: ♣5
with the spade two on the first round to emphasize
diamonds over hearts.
But now see what happens if you take East’s club jack with the ace at trick one, then
cross to dummy with a heart for the losing spade finesse. If West can resist underleading
the club king for his partner to make the diamond switch, then he is certainly a better man
than I. Of course, if the spade finesse succeeds, you still make 10 tricks by pitching a
diamond on the hearts.
Incidentally, the same sort of play can arise when you have the A-K-J in the suit they lead.
Winning East’s 10 with the king can create the same illusion.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: With everyone bidding, your
South Holds: partner is probably the player who has
♠A963 stretched to act, but you cannot afford not to
♥Q72 invite game here. Cue-bid three diamonds to
♦J52 show a high-card limit raise or better, but
♣AQ2 don't hang your partner any higher. If he
signs off in three hearts, accept his word for
South West North East it and let him play there.
1♦ 1♥ 2♦
?
ANSWER: You should always feel

comfortable in asking questions when
Dear Mr. Wolff: intending to bid, even if you think you know
Say you hold ♠ 8-3-2, ♥ K-J-5, ♦ A-Q-9-7-3, what is going on. Also, if your opponents'
♣ J-7 and respond one diamond to your methods are unusual and you believe they
partner's one-club opening. When your should have been explained, you can clarify
partner rebids two clubs, would you pass, for your partner's benefit. (After all, you
raise clubs, or show where your values lie by might be wrong about what the bids mean!)
bidding two hearts? Don't ask till the auction is over if you do not
intend to bid, whatever the explanation.
— Moving Story, Elkhart, Ind.
Dear Mr. Wolff:

ANSWER: The danger with a two-heart call
is that it is hard to know how to stay out of In a recent Aces column, your partner had
game after you make that bid. Your partner opened one club and you responded one
will assume you have a slightly better hand spade. The next hand overcalled three
than you do (though the action is far from diamonds and your partner bid four
unreasonable). Since passing seems too diamonds. You now suggested that with ♠ Q-
pessimistic, I'd raise to three clubs and hope J-9-8-3, ♥ K-3-2, ♦ 10-6, ♣ K-10-7, you
partner can explore for three no-trump with a should use Keycard Blackwood. How can
nonminimum. On this action he'd show you use Keycard if you don't know whether
stoppers, not ask for them. the trump suit should be spades or clubs?
— Unsuitable, Miami, Fla.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
My partner and I play inverted minors. We ANSWER: Four diamonds was a control bid
have agreed that to raise clubs, responder agreeing spades. So spades are trump and
needs five, but only four to raise diamonds. four no-trump is Keycard for spades. I don't
We handle diamonds this way because the think your partner could ever set clubs via
odds of a three-card diamond opening seem this four-diamond cuebid (though you
to be quite low. Exactly what are the odds of yourself could suggest clubs at the six-level).
opening with only three diamonds, and do
you agree with our scheme of responses?
Dear Mr. Wolff:
— Fiddling in a Minor Key, San Francisco,
Calif. What are the rules about dummy acting
during the hand to prevent an infraction? Are
the rules the same for leads from the wrong
ANSWER: Yes, I agree with your approach. I hand and for revokes? What if nobody spots
believe there's a 95 percent likelihood that a the infraction at the table?
one-diamond opening will show four or more — Rules for Dummies, North Bay, Ontario
cards. Additionally, since I have a natural
and nonforcing response of two no-trump
available, I can always make this call with a
completely balanced hand with four-card ANSWER: Dummy can point out to declarer
support, trying to get to no-trump whenever which hand he is in and whether he won or
each of us has a balanced hand. lost the last trick. And he can check whether
his partner has revoked. But he can't ask the
opponents if they revoked in midhand.
However, when an infraction has occurred
Dear Mr. Wolff: and been agreed on, dummy may call the
At my duplicate club I'm never sure when to director. And at the end of the deal he can
ask questions if at all. The two situations that also call the director to establish if an
concern me are when I know what my infraction has occurred.
opponents are playing and my partner does
not, and when I don't believe that the answer
to the question will affect my call.
— Grill-Master, Augusta, Ga.
“I only took the regular course … the different branches of Arithmetic — Ambition,
Distraction, Uglification and Derision.”
— Lewis Carroll
Dealer: North North

To mark the fact that the NEC championships are taking Vul: Both ♠43
place now, all this week's deals come from last year's ♥97
♦AJ87543
event in Yokohama. A field of 64 teams reduces to eight, ♣J2
using a Swiss Teams formula, with a knockout event to West East
♠AQJ2 ♠987
follow. The field normally includes up to 16 of the world's
♥8 ♥QJ543
stronger teams and a contingent of local Japanese ♦ Q 10 6 ♦9
squads. ♣97653 ♣ A Q 10 8
South
♠ K 10 6 5
In today’s deal, game was bid and made seven times — ♥ A K 10 6 2
eight if you count the result of three spades doubled ♦K2
♣K4
making nine tricks by one East-West pair. David Bakhshi
of England as South was one of the careful declarers who South West North East
brought home three no-trump via a nice exercise in Pass Pass
counting. 1♥ 1♠ 2♦ 2♠
3 NT All pass
North, David Gold, did not think he had enough for a
Opening Lead: ♣7
vulnerable pre-empt; however, his delayed route into the
auction persuaded his partner to take a shot at the no-trump game.
West led a high club spot to East’s ace for a shift to the spade nine, covered by the 10
and won by West’s jack.
West now went back to clubs, leading declarer to conclude that the spades were 4-3 and
that West had started with five clubs, else East would surely have continued the suit at
trick two or put in the queen at trick one.
That being so, Bakhshi cashed the heart ace and king, and when West showed out, he
knew to take the diamond finesse against West rather than to play for the drop, since
West had to have three diamonds to make up his 13 cards.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your partner cannot have five
South Holds: spades or he would have acted already. So
♠ Q 10 2 the choice is to lead your top club (hoping to
♥J52 hit the 'jack'pot), or to play for partner to
♦Q9742 come through with unexpected length in one
♣J3 of the red suits. Leading through dummy
looks like a better chance to me. If so, there
South West North East may well be a case for leading the heart jack
1♦ rather than a small card, unorthodox as that
Pass 1♥ Pass 1 NT might appear.
All pass
“And wisdom is a butterfly

And not a gloomy bird of prey.”
— W.B. Yeats
Dealer: South North

In the finals of the 2011 NEC tournament in Yokohama, Vul: Neither ♠ 6 4 3
Japan, both tables in today's deal reached six hearts on a ♥QJ874
♦AJ86
spade lead, but in one case with North declarer, and in the ♣7
other case with South. West East
♠8 ♠ K Q 10 9 5
For the losing Chinese team, Peng (North) won the spade ♥965 ♥3
♦432 ♦ Q 10 9 7 5
lead in dummy, cashed the diamond king, then drew three ♣KQJ543 ♣ 10 2
rounds of trump ending in the North hand. Next he led a South
♠AJ72
spade up, and David Gold, for the Anglo-Dutch winners, ♥ A K 10 2
hopped up with the spade queen and returned the suit to ♦K
♣A986
eliminate any pressure in the endgame: down one. In fact,
once declarer had cashed the heart ace and king, he South West North East
could no longer make the hand. 1♣* 3♣ 3♠** Dbl.
4♣ Pass 4♦ Pass
Ricco van Prooijen showed how to do it at the other table. 4♠ Pass 5♣ Pass
6♥ All pass
Sitting South, he won the spade lead in hand, played one
top trump from hand, then led the diamond king, and *Strong
crossed to a trump in dummy as East pitched a spade. **Hearts
Now declarer ruffed a diamond high, played the club ace, Opening Lead: ♠8
ruffed a club, and ruffed another diamond with his last
high trump.
Next he ruffed a club to dummy, and East had either to let go a spade — in which case
declarer would draw the trump and play on spades — or pitch a diamond, his actual
choice.
Van Prooijen drew the last trump, cashed the diamond ace, and led a spade toward his
jack at trick 12, with East down to the Q-10 of spades. Contract made.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Although you have a beautiful
South Holds: hand you have no reason to assume that
♠AJ72 your partner has anything at all — even four
♥ A K 10 2 hearts — since he might have been forced
♦K to act with nothing. Having doubled already
♣A986 to show a good hand, you can raise to three
hearts now, to show an even better one and
South West North East rely on partner to bid game with as little as
2♦ queen-fifth of hearts and a black king.
Dbl. Pass 2♥ Pass
?
“Whate'er he did was done with so much ease,

In him alone, ’twas natural to please.”
— John Dryden
Dealer: East North

All the deals this week come from the NEC tournament Vul: East- ♠865
held last year in Yokohama. When this board came up at West ♥ 10 7
♦A3
upwards of 50 tables during the qualifying stages, ,many ♣AKJ853
East-West pairs stopped in a spade partscore and made West East
♠QJ7 ♠AK9432
140, which looks close to par.
♥K52 ♥AJ3
♦ Q 10 9 4 ♦72
But Federico Goded of Spain was full of admiration for his ♣Q42 ♣96
opponents here — not just because of the coup they had South
♠ 10
achieved in the bidding and play but because of the ♥Q9864
confidence that they had exhibited in both phases. ♦KJ865
♣ 10 7
Matt Mullamphy, South, had overcalled three clubs to
show the red suits. This was doubled by West to show 1♠
cards and interest in defending against at least one of the 3♣* Dbl. All pass
suits. But when Ron Klinger passed three clubs doubled *Hearts and Diamonds
to show a real club suit, Mullamphy let it go as if without a
care in the world, even though he was about to be Opening Lead: ♠Q
declaring a doubled three-level contract with a trump suit
of the doubleton 10!
Perhaps Miguel Goncalves should have seen the impending danger and have led a
trump, but he actually led a top spade, and now the shift to a low trump came too late.
Declarer ran the trump shift to his hand, crossed to the diamond ace to ruff a spade, and
now could not be prevented from taking six club tricks, two diamonds and a spade ruff for
an impressive plus 470. As we’ve remarked before — easy game, bridge.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You cannot do less than bid three
South Holds: diamonds. Your partner has guaranteed four
♠ 10 diamonds and a little more than a dead
♥Q9864 minimum, so he should hardly find a three-
♦KJ865 level contract taxing. If he has anything in
♣ 10 7 reserve, he may well be able to make game,
and by raising diamonds you make it harder
South West North East for the opponents to compete to three clubs
1♠ Pass if your partner has shape but not high cards.
1 NT 2♣ 2♦ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, February 16th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on March 1st, 2012
“The last thing one knows in constructing a work is what to put first.”
— Blaise Pascal
Dealer: North North

In today's deal from the NEC event held in Yokohama last Vul: East- ♠43
February, Kyoko Shimamura took the slow route to four West ♥K5
♦ Q 10 3
spades. West led a club to the ace and East then shifted ♣KQ6543
to a low diamond. West won her king and returned a West East
♠72 ♠865
thoughtful low heart, trying to remove dummy's entry and
♥ A 10 8 4 ♥72
needing her partner to have no more than the heart nine ♦KJ862 ♦A975
to have a chance to set the game. No luck — but a nice ♣82 ♣ A 10 9 7
South
play. ♠ A K Q J 10 9
♥QJ963
In fact, at double-dummy, East needed to cash the ♦4
♣J
diamond ace at trick two, then shift to a heart, with West
covering declarer’s card to remove dummy’s entry. South West North East
Pass Pass
At another table, Heather Dhondy received the equally 1♠ Pass 1 NT Pass
testing defense of two rounds of diamonds. She ruffed, 2♥ Pass 2♠ Pass
drew trumps, then played the club jack. East, Yukiko
Umezu, won and exited in diamonds. Dhondy ruffed and Opening Lead: ♣8
led a heart up, but Etsuko Naito riposted by winning the
heart ace to leave the hearts blocked, then played a fourth diamond. Declarer ruffed with
her last trump, but (depending on whether she had unblocked the heart king or not) had to
concede a club or a heart at the end.
Vlad Isporski for the Bulgarian All Stars also received the defense of two rounds of
diamonds. He pitched his club instead of ruffing, and now when West won and made the
mistake of leading a club instead of a trump, Isporski could ruff away the club ace, draw
trumps, and lead a heart toward the king, leaving the defense helpless.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: This hand raises the issue of
South Holds: what your partner should expect from a two-
♠43 level overcall. Any reader who has seen me
♥K5 criticize overcalls on five-card suits may be
♦ Q 10 3 surprised when I say that an overcall here is
♣KQ6543 perfectly OK — though I draw the line at a
jump overcall. Any decent six-card suit tends
South West North East to be acceptable, though I'd probably pass at
Pass 1♥ unfavorable vulnerability.
?
by Bobby Wolff on March 2nd, 2012
“But if success I must never find,

Then come misfortune, I bid thee welcome,
I’ll meet thee with an undaunted mind.”
— Robert Burns
Dealer: South North

My great friend Patrick Huang must be one of the Vul: Both ♠AQ852
strongest declarers never to have won a world team title. ♥76
♦ 10 6 3
But today's deal from last year's NEC trophy in Yokohama ♣KQ5
shows that virtue is not always rewarded, and sometimes West East
♠K6 ♠ 10
the best line of play can leave you with egg all over your
♥ Q 10 4 2 ♥KJ853
face. ♦AQ52 ♦987
♣982 ♣ 10 7 4 3
How would you play four spades on a heart lead? Huang South
♠J9743
followed a line that combined technical expertise with ♥A9
table presence. He won, advanced the spade jack, and ♦KJ4
♣AJ6
went up with the ace when Louk Verhees (part of the
Anglo-Dutch winning team) ducked smoothly. Now he South West North East
stripped off the clubs and exited with a heart, confident 1♠ Pass 2 NT* Pass
that he would come home whenever the diamond queen 4♠ All pass
was onside or he had an endplay. Alas, not tonight. With *Game-forcing spade raise
the diamond honors wrong, he had found the only lie of
Opening Lead: ♥2
the cards where this approach would fail.
In the other room, after South had opened one no-trump and North transferred into
spades, he jumped to three spades. That got him into a congruent position, and West
here also led a heart. The difference was that when David Gold advanced the spade jack,
Liu covered. That was the end of the story, with 10 tricks for declarer and a game-swing
for his side.
Only five declarers out of 50 duplicated the unsuccessful line found by Huang. But if you
switch the diamond queen and spade king, it looks like the only winning line, so it is really
hard to criticize it unduly.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Some players might try to come
South Holds: to a perfect stop in three spades, but the
♠AQ852 practical call is to bid four spades at once,
♥76 hoping to reach a sound game, or persuade
♦ 10 6 3 the opponents to let it through. Since you
♣KQ5 have what passes for opening values and a
good fit, bid four spades.
1♦ Pass
1♠ Pass 2♠ Pass
?
by Bobby Wolff on March 3rd, 2012
“What of a truth that is bounded by these mountains and is falsehood to the world that
lives beyond?”
— Michel de Montaigne
Dealer: West North

In today's deal from the NEC tournament held last year in Vul: Both ♠J53
Yokohama, both tables reached five diamonds, Justin ♥ J 10 7 6 4 3
♦ A K J 10
Hackett on a club lead, Valio Kovachev on a spade lead. ♣—
The key to the defense is that when East gets in with the West East
♠Q986 ♠ K 10
heart king, he must return a trump to kill the crossruff. The
♥A982 ♥K5
Bulgarian East missed this and played back a spade, but ♦— ♦Q643
Justin drew a round of trumps himself, prematurely, on ♣ Q 10 9 7 6 ♣J8542
South
winning the spade ace, and that was fatal. In the ending, ♠A742
after declarer had trumped two plain cards in dummy, East ♥Q
♦98752
could ruff a winning heart high and return a second ♣AK3
diamond to leave declarer with a losing spade at trick 13.
In the other room a spade lead forced declarer to rush to Pass 1♥ Pass
take his discards. After he gave up a heart to East, Tom 2♦ Pass 3♦ Pass
3 NT Pass 4♥ Pass
Hanlon accurately played back a trump, but Hugh 4♠ Pass 5♦ All pass
McGann erred by discarding a spade — he could surely
have afforded a club. Now, when declarer ruffed two Opening Lead: ♣10
spades to dummy, he had set up his long spade and at
trick 13 would be left with a winner, not a loser. So the declarer who should have
succeeded went down, and the one who should have been defeated made his contract.
Most of the expert declarers in five diamonds brought home their game when East did not
find the diamond shift. Paul Gosney of Australia was one of the few defenders who found
the diamond shift at the critical moment to beat five diamonds by force.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: It may look attractive to raise to
South Holds: two spades on this auction, but there is a
♠A742 real danger that you may be running into a
♥Q spade stack. While East has indicated
♦98752 unsuitability for defense, West may still be
♣AK3 lurking in the wings. I would pass here, and
only bid two spades with the same hand plus
South West North East an additional minor spade honor. Let partner
1♥ compete to two spades if he wants to.
Dbl. Rdbl. 1♠ 2♥
?
by Bobby Wolff on March 4th, 2012

As dealer, not vulnerable, I held ♠ 8-4, ♥ J, The other day an expert gave me advice that
♦ A-K-Q-J-9-7-5-4-2, ♣ 7. How would you I either misunderstood or misheard. What I
open this hand? What would you do if thought he told me was it is prohibited for a
vulnerable? player to double on more than two occasions
if his partner had passed after the first two
— Ready for Action, Locust Grove, Va. times? This doesn't sound right, but I was
told this by someone who considers himself
an authority.
ANSWER: Thanks for the question. I think I
would simply open five diamonds — — Double Doubling, Spokane, Wash.
although three no-trump to show a solid
minor is an option. However, a nine-card suit
suggests pre-empting to the maximum. Bid ANSWER: Free advice is worth what you
first, apologize later, I say. pay for it. A third double is not only legal, but
it makes plenty of sense — if your hand
warrants it. The third double tends to be
Dear Mr. Wolff: more high cards than takeout. Perhaps what
your adviser meant is that such doubles tend
In a recent Bid With the Aces, partner not to be pure takeout. I'd expect your
opened one club and bid spades twice. Your partner would have to decide whether to
comment is that your partner showed at defend or bid, but he should know that his
least 5-5 in the black suits and a good hand. partner is likely to have about four quick
If he started with a 5-5 pattern, why wouldn't tricks for the auction thus far, so he would
he open one spade instead of one club? Is it not require a trump-stack to pass.
to conserve bidding space, or to make it
easier for his partner to respond with a weak
hand? Dear Mr. Wolff:
— Best Foot Forward, Pottsville, Pa. Say you are dealt ♠ K-J, ♥ A-9-7-4-3, ♦ 9-6-2,
♣ Q-10-7 and respond one heart to your
partner's one-club opening. What should you
ANSWER: With 5-5 in the black suits, the bid over his rebid of one spade? Surely you
question is why if ever you would open one cannot rebid two hearts, and your trump
spade, not one club, or vice versa. To start support seems too weak for a raise of either
with, when opening a hand 5-6 in the black black suit, while you can't bid no-trump
suits, a one-club call is almost mandatory. without a diamond stopper.
With five good clubs and five bad spades,
you have discretion to go either way. (I can — All Exits Blocked, Newark, N.J.
see a lot of sense in bidding one club here.)
However, with five decent spades, especially
in a good hand, I would open one spade ANSWER: There is nothing intrinsically
almost all the time. wrong with a call of one no-trump. (Yes, the
opponents might even take five diamond
tricks but surely won't manage more than
Dear Mr. Wolff: that.). In fact, I might select that action at
pairs, but at teams it looks clear to bid two
Say you are in third seat with ♠ 2, ♥ A-J-6-4- clubs, hoping that partner didn't rebid one
3, ♦ Q-9-4-2, ♣ 10-7-3. Your partner opens spade with an absolutely balanced hand,
one spade, and the next hand overcalls one when one no-trump would have been best.
no-trump. What would you do now? Would So a club contract rates to be safe enough.
you bid, pass, or make a negative double?
— Scurrying, Wausau, Wis.
ANSWER: Before we start, let's clarify our

terms. A double of one no-trump here is
NOT negative, but is penalty — you are
about a queen shor for that action, though it
is far from unreasonable. If you bid a new
suit, you are making a nonforcing call,
denying the values to be able to double, so a
two-heart call, while not risk free, is an
entirely reasonable action.
“You see, but you do not observe.”

— Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Dealer: South North

Intermediate cards, such as 10s and nines, are very Vul: Both ♠J65
welcome in many contracts. On other occasions they can ♥A5
♦KQ653
be a hindrance; blocking the smooth running of a suit. ♣632
Look at today's deal, for example. Against three no-trump West East
♠Q94 ♠ K 10 8 3
West leads the heart six, East playing the queen. What is
♥KJ863 ♥Q972
your plan? ♦4 ♦ J 10 8
♣ Q 10 5 4 ♣J9
The original declarer counted five diamond tricks and four South
♠A72
outside top cards, thinking that the only possible problem ♥ 10 4
was a 4-0 diamond break. He won the second heart and ♦A972
♣AK87
led the diamond three to his ace. Giving his partner a
reassuring nod, he continued with a low diamond to South West North East
dummy’s king. If the suit had broken 2-2, he would have 1 NT Pass 3 NT All pass
survived this piece of carelessness. He could have
Opening Lead: ♥6
cashed the diamond nine on the third round, then crossed
to dummy’s diamond queen to score a fifth diamond trick.
Unfortunately, West showed out on the second round, and there was no way for declarer
to recover. Whether he led the nine or the seven to dummy’s queen on the next round, he
would have to win the fourth round of diamonds in his hand. Four plus four did not equal
nine, and he was one down.
Since the diamond nine and seven were potential blocking cards, they should have been
played under dummy’s king and queen. This leaves the way clear to lead the diamond six
on the fourth round, following with the two from the South hand. The lead remains in
dummy, and nine tricks are readily available.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Declarer's jump to game rates to
South Holds: be based on a long diamond suit and a
♠A84 single or double heart-stop. There is no
♥ Q 10 8 6 3 reason to panic here, looking to lead some
♦2 other suit than the one you have bid. Hope
♣ K 10 6 3 that partner can produce a high heart and a
diamond stopper, and simply lead a low
South West North East heart. You might tempt me to lead a club if
1♦ my suit were king-queen fourth, though.
1♥ Dbl. 2♥ 3 NT
All pass
The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, February 21st, 2012
“Even when the wished end's denied,

Yet while the busy means are plied,
They bring their own reward.”
— Robert Burns
Dealer: West North

Sometimes it takes a precise order of play to succeed in a Vul: North- ♠AQJ3
contract, and in today's deal you need to have your wits South ♥32
♦97
about you in four spades. ♣AK862
West East
West led the heart king to South’s ace. If the game is to ♠K96 ♠84
♥KQJ654 ♥ 10 9 8 7
make, there is only one card for declarer to play at trick
♦AJ6 ♦43
two — the spade 10. Had a spade been played to the jack ♣7 ♣ Q J 10 9 5
or queen instead, declarer would lack the transportation to South
♠ 10 7 5 2
repeat the finesse. When the 10 holds, South finesses ♥A
again in spades, then cashes the spade ace. ♦ K Q 10 8 5 2
♣43
While it would not be wrong to cash the club ace next, it
becomes essential to play a diamond to the 10. (If instead 1♥ Dbl. 3♥
a diamond is played to the king, West will withhold the 3♠ Pass 4♠ All pass
ace, and as it is vital not only to set up diamonds but also
to access them, South will lack the entries to do both.) Opening Lead: ♥K
Since it would clearly do West no good to duck, West must win with the diamond jack and
return a heart. As the diamond ace is still out, South cannot afford to use his last trump to
ruff this. So South must discard a diamond.
The defense now has no winning options. West can try another heart, but declarer is able
to ruff this in dummy, then overtake dummy’s second diamond. Whether West takes the
ace on this round or the next, declarer still has a trump with which to access the
established diamonds.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Facing a negative double, you
South Holds: might look no further than your four-card
♠AQJ3 spade suit and bid one spade. That would
♥32 undervalue your assets considerably. You
♦97 should jump to two spades, which is
♣AK862 invitational and not forcing, suggesting a
shapely hand with some extras, which you
South West North East have.
1♣ 1♦ Dbl. Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012
“Don’t quack like a duck, soar like an eagle.”

— Ken Blanchard
Dealer: South North

The timing for releasing the trump ace can be the key to Vul: Both ♠ 10 9 8
the success or failure of a contract. ♥A95
♦ 10 7 3
♣AK85
The final contract in both rooms was four spades. In one West East
room, on the lead of the heart jack, declarer won in ♠A4 ♠J72
♥ J 10 8 6 ♥732
dummy, then ran the spade 10. Whether West takes the
♦AJ62 ♦984
ace now or on the spade continuation does not matter. ♣ 10 6 3 ♣QJ92
Declarer comes to his contract, losing just two diamonds South
♠KQ653
and the trump ace. ♥KQ4
♦KQ5
In the other room Leonid Podgur also led the heart jack. ♣74
Jeff Meckstroth won in hand, played a club to the ace,
then a spade to the king, which Podgur ducked in tempo. 1 NT Pass 3♣* Pass
The tempo was important, for had Meckstroth been given 3♠ Pass 4♠ All pass
any reason for suspecting a holdup, he had two other *Asking for five-card majors
lines available. The simple one would be to return to
dummy and run the spade 10. Or he could have cashed Opening Lead: ♥J
dummy’s club king, ruffed a club low in hand, then played
the heart queen followed by the ace. Now a trump from dummy to the queen and ace
endplays West into either opening the diamonds or playing the fourth heart. East can ruff
with the spade jack, but now a diamond goes away, and only one diamond trick is lost.
In fact, Meckstroth, believing the spade ace was with East, simply entered dummy with a
club to play another spade to the queen and ace. Two trump and two diamond tricks saw
the game off.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Diamonds rates to be your side's
South Holds: safest partscore, so it certainly does not look
♠A4 wrong to pass. However, this hand has just
♥ J 10 8 6 enough potential for game to stay in
♦AJ62 contention. I would correct to two spades,
♣ 10 6 3 hoping partner might find another bid. The
simple raise to three diamonds might also
South West North East work out fine here.
1♠ 2♣
Dbl. Pass 2♦ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, February 23rd, 2012
“New things are made familiar, and familiar things are made new.”
— Samuel Johnson
Dealer: North North

Today's deal demonstrates that there is always something Vul: East- ♠73
new under the sun. On the surface of it, your contract of West ♥K75
♦AQ6
six spades comes down to establishing clubs or finding ♣AK872
the diamonds to lie moderately favorably — a combined West East
♠984 ♠65
chance of about 75 percent. Can you do better?
♥ Q J 10 6 3 ♥9842
♦J95 ♦K87
Against your slam West leads the heart queen to your ♣J9 ♣ Q 10 5 4
ace. You draw trump, throwing the heart seven from South
♠ A K Q J 10 2
dummy, and lead a club. If West plays the five or four, ♥A
declarer would cover, giving up an early club trick to ♦ 10 4 3 2
♣63
facilitate establishing the suit. He can win the club return
and ruff a club, coming to 12 tricks unless clubs are 5-1, in South West North East
which case he falls back on the diamond finesse. 1♣ Pass
2♠ Pass 2 NT Pass
However, when West produces the club nine, you call for 3♠ Pass 4♣ Pass
6♠ All pass
dummy’s ace. After cashing the club king, you play the
club two and, once East follows with the 10, throw a Opening Lead: ♥Q
diamond from hand.
No matter what East does now, the contract is safe. You can ruff the club queen and then
have two discards for your own diamonds. A heart return provides the extra entry to set up
the clubs, while a diamond back surrenders the 12th trick immediately. If West had
produced the club queen, the suit would have split 3-3 and therefore the heart king and a
long club would have provided discards for your losing diamonds.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Bid one heart. There are both
South Holds: tactical and strategic reasons why one
♠65 responds to opening bids in a minor here.
♥9842 First, despite your limited values, you cannot
♦K87 rule out game for your side if your partner
♣ Q 10 5 4 has a strong hand with either clubs or
hearts. Second, you respond to make life
South West North East harder for your opponents to get their act
1♣ Pass together.
?
“Since when was genius found respectable?”

— Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Dealer: South North

English international Margaret Nygren found a play in Vul: North- ♠643
today's pairs deal that deserved to generate more than a South ♥83
♦AQJ832
matchpoint top for her side. ♣Q6
West East
Against four spades, reached after a conventional ♠KQ5 ♠ 10 7
♥K9754 ♥ A 10 2
response by North to show spade support, Margaret’s
♦ 10 6 ♦754
diamond-10 lead looks ineffective, but it had the effect of ♣J92 ♣ K 10 5 4 3
starting to damage declarer’s communications. South
♠AJ982
♥QJ6
The lead was won in dummy with the ace, declarer ♦K9
unblocking the king. The spade three went to the seven, ♣A87
nine and queen, and West continued with a second
diamond, won by dummy’s queen. 1♠ Pass 2 NT* Pass
4♠ All pass
Next came the spade four to the 10, jack — and five!
*At least invitational with spade
Margaret appreciated that declarer still retained the trump support
two, with the early play marking her partner with a top
club, or declarer would have pitched a heart loser from Opening Lead: ♦10
dummy on a club. Had she taken her spade king, the
defenders would have had two hearts to cash for down one but declarer would have had
an entry to dummy via the spade six, to access the diamonds.
South now changed tack and played a low club to dummy’s queen. East captured this with
his king, then led a low heart to South’s queen and West’s king. Margaret now exited with
her spade king, at which point, according to West, declarer nearly fell off her chair.
Dummy was now well and truly dead, and with declarer having to play entirely from her
own hand, she ended up with just seven tricks.
Nygren’s brilliant ducking play in trumps had exchanged one trump trick for three
elsewhere.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Whenever you have a game-
South Holds: forcing hand and no clear direction to head
♠AJ982 in, your second call rates to be fourth suit
♥QJ6 forcing. Bid two hearts, planning to convert a
♦K9 two-no-trump call or a bid of three of a minor
♣A87 to three no-trump. But if partner shows
extras, you may be in slam territory — and
South West North East this way you may steer clear of three no-
1♦ Pass trump when partner has a singleton or void
1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass in hearts.
?
“Today we walk by love;

To strive is not enough,
Save against greed and ignorance and might.”
— Bliss Carman
Dealer: South North

At matchpoints or point-a-board teams, scoring every trick Vul: Neither ♠ A K 3
counts, and an overtrick can have the same impact as ♥K9
♦J63
making a grand slam. This will explain the goings-on in ♣ 10 8 7 6 2
today's deal, which comes from the Warren Buffett Cup, West East
♠ Q 10 9 5 4 ♠876
the bridge event played between Europe and the USA
♥4 ♥ A J 10 6
along the lines of golf's Ryder Cup. ♦ 10 5 2 ♦K98
♣AK43 ♣J95
Against three hearts, Norberto Bocchi led a top club and South
♠J2
switched to a diamond to the eight and queen. Declarer, ♥Q87532
David Berkowitz, continued with ace and another diamond ♦AQ74
♣Q
and East, Giorgio Duboin (the hero of the tale), was in. He
switched to a spade, covered by the jack, queen and king. South West North East
1♥ 1♠ Dbl. 2♠
All that was left for declarer was to draw trumps, so he Pass Pass Dbl. Pass
ruffed a club and led a heart toward dummy’s king. Had 3♦ Pass 3♥ All pass
East won this and played another spade, declarer would
Opening Lead: ♣K
have won in dummy and made the no-cost safety play of
running the heart nine, a play that Duboin knew would succeed.
Instead, Duboin ducked the heart king! Now declarer continued with the heart nine,
covered by Duboin’s 10. South could have guaranteed his contract by playing the queen
(losing at most two heart tricks to go with a diamond and a club), but it looked certain to
him that West had started with ace-doubleton of trumps, in which case he would make an
overtrick if he ducked. So he ducked the heart 10, and now Duboin had to come to two
more trump tricks to beat the partscore.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: The simplest unambiguous way
South Holds: to show a good spade raise is to cue-bid two
♠AK3 hearts — a call that cannot be misconstrued
♥K9 since you did not overcall in hearts at your
♦J63 first turn. Maybe a call of two diamonds
♣ 10 8 7 6 2 should be artificial as well, but why put
partner under unnecessary pressure?
1♦
Pass 1♥ 1♠ Pass
?

I have a question about opening strategy. At rubber bridge I held ♠ A-9, ♥ Q-10-7, ♦ K-
Recently we won a recent team-of-four J-2, ♣ A-5-4-3-2 and responded two clubs to
league match, and this hand was pivotal. I one spade. Over my partner's two-heart
was dealt ♠ A-8, ♥ K-J-9-8-3-2, ♦ 9-2, ♣ 8-7- rebid I tried two no-trump, forcing, and now
3. I chose to bid two hearts (which got us to my partner bid three diamonds. What should
an easy game, while our teammates stole I have done now?
the board in spades). What do you advise on
opening either vulnerable or not? — Lucy Locket, Lakeland, Fla.
— Get Up and Go, Lorain, Ohio
ANSWER: Your partner has suggested
length (possibly only three cards) in
ANSWER: I would advocate opening this diamonds. In context your side might make
hand at any vulnerability. I like my weak-two slam in a major. I'd start by giving preference
suits nonvulnerable to hold two of the top to three spades, and if my partner bids three
four cards — this suit qualifies because with no-trump, I might advance with a four-club
the spade ace, my playing strength is as bid. I wouldn't be surprised if six hearts was
expected. I'd consider it a dead minimum at best, though.
unfavorable vulnerability, but I'd still do it.
Dear Mr. Wolff:

Dear Mr. Wolff:
I have been "drafted" to teach a course in
Is there anything to be said for balancing basic bridge at my senior citizen center, all
over a strong no-trump with a five-card because I opened my big mouth and
major, even in a relatively flat hand? Would mentioned that I used to play duplicate
vulnerability (or your status as a passed bridge in Manhattan. I was only (and still am)
hand) affect the odds? a mediocre player. Could you please
recommend a book that would be suitable
— Balancing Act, Worcester, Mass. for my future students?
— Student Teacher, Manhattan, N.Y.
ANSWER: It is MUCH safer to balance over
a strong no-trump than a weak no-trump.
Partner won't take you so seriously and look ANSWER: "Five Weeks to Winning Bridge"
for gold by inviting game. Equally, if by Sheinwold is a great book to learn from,
nonvulnerable, you do not run the risk of but the Audrey Grant series of teaching
going for 200. I'm most aggressive when books is far and away the best educational
both sides are nonvulnerable, far more tool. Contact ACBL and they will help with
cautious when both sides are vulnerable. I details.
would not advocate balancing with a five-
carder in a balanced hand, but two-suiters or
the like should try to balance. This is
especially so as a passed hand, where
partner won't expect too much.
Dear Mr. Wolff:

Where does the modern expert community
stand on the double of four of a major – as
an opening or an overcall: penalties, optional
or takeout?
— Red Flag, Dodge City, Kan.
ANSWER: I think most people treat a double

of four hearts as primarily closer to takeout
than penalties. In response to that double,
with four spades one tends to bid the suit, or
with extra shape in a two- or three-suited
hand, one strains to act. The position is less
clear facing a double of four spades. The
double might be described as optional,
meaning responder acts if he believes they
can make what they bid. A balanced weak
hand rates to pass and hope.
“A place for everything, and everything in its place.”

— Samuel Smiles
Dealer: South North

These days it is considered normal to open a no-trump Vul: Neither ♠ 7 5 2
with a five-card major, so long as your hand is balanced ♥J4
♦AKQ65
and falls in the appropriate range. ♣K95
West East
Even hands with a five-card minor and a four-card heart ♠ A Q 10 6 4 ♠—
♥Q632 ♥ A 10 9 8
suit, or with five clubs and four diamonds may be
♦9 ♦J8732
appropriate for a strong no-trump, so long as the hand is ♣ 10 8 6 ♣Q732
at the minimum end of the range and has an honor in South
♠KJ983
each of your doubletons. If not, some other treatment of ♥K75
the hand is probably more appropriate. ♦ 10 4
♣AJ4
When you open one no-trump, you often lose your 5-3
major fits; but as today’s deal indicates, that may be no 1 NT* 2♣** 3 NT All pass
bad thing! Witness what happened to the majority today,
*12-14
who were playing strong no-trumps. They located the 5-3
**Majors
spade fit and played four spades, often doubled and down
at least a trick. Opening Lead: ♠6
Sartaj Hans of Australia was the only South player to make a game here; he played three
no-trump after West had shown up with the majors. He was treated to a low spade lead
and exploited dummy’s assets to the full by putting in the seven, holding the trick. With the
knowledge of unfriendly splits around the place, he then made the expert’s safety play of
leading a low diamond from the board at once toward his 10, trying to guarantee four
diamond tricks for his side.
Whether East went in with his jack to shift to a heart or ducked, that was a sure nine tricks
for declarer.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your partner's double is Lightner
South Holds: – asking for an unusual lead, here typically
♠874 dummy's first bid suit unless you have a
♥ 10 6 holding in a side-suit that suggests he has a
♦K983 void there. In this case you do not need to
♣J965 look further than a low club for your lead;
perhaps partner has a void and a cashing
South West North East ace.
1♥
Pass 2♣ Pass 2♥
Pass 4♥ Pass 6♥
Pass Pass Dbl. All pass
“A throw of the dice will never abolish chance.”

— Stephane Mallarme
Dealer: South North

Declarer's approach to his contract can vary widely, Vul: Both ♠43
depending on whether he is playing matchpoints or ♥853
♦Q9873
teams. At matchpoints declarer may risk his contract to ♣872
hunt for overtricks, while at teams or at rubber, the main West East
♠Q985 ♠6
objective is to make the contract.
♥92 ♥Q764
♦J6 ♦ 10 5 4 2
To focus on the different techniques, consider four spades ♣ J 10 9 5 3 ♣AKQ6
here on repeated club leads. South ruffs, and at South
♠ A K J 10 7 2
matchpoints 99 percent of players would cash the two top ♥ A K J 10
spades, then start on the hearts. They would generally ♦AK
♣4
bring home 10 or 11 tricks, unaware that they had
jeopardized their contract. South West North East
2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass
However, the danger here is that trumps break 4-1, with a 2♠ Pass 3♣* Pass
probability of one in four. If so, then when declarer drives 3♥ Pass 3♠ Pass
4♠ All pass
out the trump queen, a club return exhausts declarer of
trump unless the heart queen falls doubleton. *Second negative: 0-4 HCP
Opening Lead: ♣J
But even protecting yourself against the bad trump break
is not enough. South must also avoid a heart ruff when the player with four trumps has a
small doubleton heart. The winning line is most unusual: declarer must attack the major
suits by leading the spade jack at trick three! West will win and force declarer to ruff
another club. Now declarer must leave trumps alone (dummy’s trump can take care of the
next club) and make his second imaginative play — he leads the heart jack, to leave the
defenders without recourse. By contrast, if he play hearts from the top, East can win the
heart queen and give his partner a ruff.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your absence of a legitimate
South Holds: diamond stopper should not prevent you
♠6 from bidding one no-trump, which is the
♥Q764 value call for your hand, suggesting 8-11
♦ 10 5 4 2 HCP. If your partner produces a second suit,
♣AKQ6 you may be in business; until then, stay low.

1♦ 1♠ Pass
?
“'Avoid it,' cried our pilot, 'check

The shout, restrain the eager eye!’”
— Robert Browning
Dealer: North North

Today's deal emphasizes that it is not sufficient to reach Vul: East- ♠K5
your best trump fit; sometimes you have to consider West ♥ A K J 10 7 4
♦ 10 7 5
whether positional considerations may override playing in ♣Q7
the obvious strain. West East
♠ A Q J 10 4 ♠98632
When the United States took on the Netherlands here, ♥96 ♥82
♦AQJ64 ♦98
Vincent Ramondt and Anton Maas put up a good ♣8 ♣J642
smokescreen to get to four spades, but North, David South
♠7
Berkowitz, was unwilling to sell out cheaply. He ♥Q53
intelligently competed to five clubs. Larry Cohen made a ♦K32
♣ A K 10 9 5 3
fine decision when he decided to pass this, protecting the
diamond suit from attack. South West North East
1♥ Pass
Ramondt now chose the well-reasoned lead of the spade 2♣ 2♥ 3♥ 4♠
four, with the idea of putting his partner in for a diamond Pass Pass 5♣ All pass
through. But North held the spade king, which Larry
Opening Lead: ♠4
Cohen inserted at trick one. When it held, it gave Cohen
pause for thought. Why had West underled his spade ace? There were two plausible
reasons — either West was void in hearts, or his diamonds were such that an urgent
switch was required.
Since West was marked with no more than three cards in clubs and hearts on the bidding,
Cohen continued with dummy’s club queen, then a finesse of the 10 — a safety play to
make sure he could prevent East from getting the lead in trump. When the club 10 held,
the rest of the trumps were drawn, then the hearts were cashed, for 13 tricks. As you can
see, five hearts would have failed on a diamond lead by East, since the defenders take
two diamonds and a ruff.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your partner's call of two spades
South Holds: is nonforcing, though consistent with a
♠K5 decent suit in a moderate hand. However
♥ A K J 10 7 4 good your hearts might be, you should view
♦ 10 7 5 your spade support as entirely adequate,
♣Q7 while your values are not very good. Pass,
and hope your partner can make it, while
South West North East being prepared to compete in spades if
1♦ necessary.
1♥ 2♣ 2♠ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, March 1st, 2012
“But evil is wrought by want of thought,

As well as want of heart!”
— Thomas Hood
Dealer: North North

On the way to today's club slam, North's jump to three no- Vul: East- ♠AK4
trump showed about a strong no-trump. When South West ♥AQ83
♦A9872
made a slam-try with his four-club call, North believed his ♣7
excellent controls more than made up for his singleton West East
♠83 ♠J9765
trump.
♥9642 ♥ K J 10
♦ K Q J 10 4 3 ♦5
West led the diamond king. Declarer won in dummy and ♣2 ♣ J 10 5 3
did not relax despite the likelihood that he had at least 12 South
♠ Q 10 2
top winners. Instead he made the expert — and ♥75
necessary — play of immediately ruffing a diamond, on ♦6
♣AKQ9864
which East discarded a spade. Declarer’s precaution was
aimed at scoring his small trumps should clubs not South West North East
behave. Now he played three rounds of clubs, and with a 1♦ Pass
certain trump loser, it looked as if the contract now 2♣ Pass 2♥ Pass
2♠ Pass 3 NT Pass
depended on the heart finesse. 4♣ Pass 6♣ All pass
But South had a better plan. He entered dummy twice in Opening Lead: ♦K
spades, each time to ruff a diamond in hand, as East
discarded two hearts, and next cashed the spade queen. There were two possible plays
now. South could have tried to throw East in with the winning trump, to endplay him in
hearts, but he knew East still had a spade left, so that player would be able to cash a
spade winner.
South found a more elegant solution. He entered dummy with the heart ace and, when the
king fell, claimed his contract. But had the king not fallen, declarer would have led the
diamond nine from dummy. If East ruffs in, South can discard his last heart, while if East
pitches his spade, South makes his trump nine en passant.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your hand seems to be just too
South Holds: good to pass one spade (though only just).
♠AK4 The choice is to raise to two spades or to bid
♥AQ83 two diamonds. Both calls show good hands,
♦A9872 but my slight preference is to bid two
♣7 diamonds because that suit might play so
much better than spades. You hope that
South West North East partner can always convert back to spades
1♣ with extra length and an unsuitable hand.
Dbl. Pass 1♠ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Friday, March 2nd, 2012
“One's fantasy goes for a walk and returns with a bride.”

— Bernard Malamud
Dealer: East North

Today's deal from the World Mixed Pairs in Verona Vul: Both ♠A95
demonstrates how sometimes all that is needed to make a ♥A765
♦QJ
seemingly impossible game is a little clear thinking. ♣A654
West East
Cover up the East and West hands before reading on. At ♠ 10 7 3 ♠J864
♥92 ♥ K Q 10
many tables South reached four hearts after East had
♦432 ♦ A 10 9 6 5
stretched to open one diamond. West led the club queen. ♣ Q J 10 9 8 ♣3
How would you tackle the play? South
♠KQ2
♥J843
If West has club length, then East must have all the ♦K87
outstanding honors outside clubs. Accordingly, you must ♣K72
aim to play off all your cards in spades and diamonds
before throwing East in with a trump. So, win the club ace 1♦
and play the diamond queen. If East ducks this, continue Pass Pass Dbl. Pass
with a second diamond. Say East wins and plays a spade. 2♥ Pass 4♥ All pass
Win in hand, cash the heart ace then take your spade and
Opening Lead: ♣Q
diamond winners, ending in the dummy. There is an
outside chance that East holds a second club, so lead a club toward your king. East
cannot profitably ruff, so your king wins, and only now do you play a second trump. East
can make two trump tricks but must then give you a ruff-and-discard for your contract.
At one table, where declarer set about the hand in this way, he made an overtrick! In
desperation East unblocked the heart king under the ace, then ducked when declarer led
a trump away from dummy, hoping that his partner had started with the doubleton jack. No
luck! East still got endplayed, this time for the overtrick.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Opening in third seat requires
South Holds: you to have either a decent hand or a suit
♠KQ2 you want partner to lead. Here you have
♥J843 neither, so you risk either getting too high or
♦K87 getting partner off to the wrong lead.
♣K72 Therefore pass, rather than misrepresenting
your hand.
Pass Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, March 3rd, 2012
“What can we reason, but from what we know?”

— Alexander Pope
Dealer: South North

In today's deal you are East defending three no-trump on Vul: Neither ♠ K J 10
an uninformative auction. West leads the diamond jack, ♥A83
♦542
and you have to decide whether to put up your queen or ♣ Q 10 8 5
play low. What should you do and why? West East
♠752 ♠8643
♥J42 ♥ Q 10 9 7
The lead leaves room for your partner to hold seven
♦ J 10 9 8 6 ♦Q7
points at most. If he started out with the K-J-10 of ♣K6 ♣A92
diamonds, there will not be room for him to hold much South
♠AQ9
else, and it will be hard to beat the game. ♥K65
♦AK3
However, if your partner started with J-10-9-x-x in ♣J743
diamonds and he has either the club king plus the heart
jack, or both the king and jack of hearts, then you can 1 NT Pass 3 NT All pass
succeed by putting up the diamond queen at the first trick.
If declarer takes this, you will win your club ace and clear Opening Lead: ♦J
diamonds while partner still has a club entry. So South will
duck and you must then switch to a heart.
It will do declarer no good to duck the heart trick, though this is his best chance. When he
wins the second heart in dummy and plays a club, you must duck the trick. Your partner
should win his king and continue hearts, and now declarer will lose five tricks.
Note that if you play low and leave your partner on play at the end of the first trick when
declarer ducks, your partner will surely continue the attack on diamonds. Now declarer
can go after clubs. The defense cannot both set up and cash diamonds, so the contract
will come home.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: With an eight-count and both
South Holds: majors, you should use Stayman. You might
♠8643 after all make game in any of three
♥ Q 10 9 7 denominations, and if you do have a fit,
♦Q7 you'd expect either major to play better than
♣A92 no-trump. Without the heart intermediates,
you might take a pessimistic view and let
South West North East one no-trump go.
1 NT Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, March 4th, 2012
ANSWER: Double could be made on a

balanced hand with as little as the right
Dear Mr. Wolff: eight-count, if you have a decent holding in
A few weeks ago my bridge foursome drew partner's suit. Since you tend to double with
for partners and each of us drew an ace. all good hands, a new suit by you is
Have you ever heard of that happening nonforcing. So the typical range is 6-10 high-
before? What are the chances of that ever cards — one of the very few sequences
happening again? where a new suit in response to an opener is
not forcing.
— Long Shot, San Francisco, Calif.
Dear Mr. Wolff:

ANSWER: The chance is approximately one
in 250,000. To calculate it precisely, multiply My partner, who held ♠ A-K-7-3, ♥ A-9-4-2,
four by three by two and divide that by 52 ♦ Q-10-5-3, ♣ 4, opened one diamond and
times 51 times 50 times 49. heard me respond one heart. He raised to
two hearts — which seems reasonable to
I’ve never heard of it happening, but that me, although might one jump to three hearts
doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened — or won’t with that hand? If you do make the simple
happen tomorrow! raise, would you consider bidding on when
your partner jumps to game?
Dear Mr. Wolff: — Second Movement, Dayton, Ohio
I held ♠ J, ♥ A-J-10-9-4, ♦ K-Q-8-5-4, ♣ Q-4. I
overcalled one heart over one diamond, and ANSWER: You are right, the hand is close to
heard two clubs on my left and two no-trump a jump raise, but a 4-4-4-1 pattern never
on my right to end the auction. I don't like to plays quite as well as you'd expect. Having
lead singletons against no-trump, but I felt limited your hand with the simple raise, you
leading a heart was likely to cost a trick, transfer captaincy to your partner. Once that
since declarer surely had a good heart happens, you must not override your partner
stopper. Leading a club seemed likely to by bidding on over a sign-off.
help set up dummy's suit, while the auction
suggested strongly that partner had five or
six spades. What do you think? Dear Mr. Wolff:
— Double Bogey, Bellingham, Wash. At what point in the play can a player no
longer legally request a review of the
bidding"?
ANSWER: Your lead was a little fanciful, but
that doesn't mean it wouldn't work, — Forgetful, Grenada, Miss.
Personally, I would have led from my own
long suit, expecting that even if a spade was
passive, this deal would not boil down to ANSWER: You can always ask for a review
setting up an eighth winner for declarer. during the auction or at trick one. Normally,
at trick one the review is fine, but once the
lead is made, I believe that is the last
Dear Mr. Wolff: moment for reviewing the bidding. However,
please note that you can always ask for an
When your partner opens the bidding and explanation of the bidding at your turn to
the next hand overcalls one no-trump, how play.
much do you need to double for penalties?
And what does the bid of a new suit
suggest?
— Mythbuster, Sioux Falls, S.D.
The Aces on Bridge: Monday, March 5th, 2012
“Words are but empty thanks.”

— Colley Cibber
Dealer: West North

I'm always pleased when my correspondents send me Vul: Both ♠AQJ
deals, and even happier when they contain educational ♥ A 10 4 3
♦653
points. Today's came from Rich Mannheimer, who was ♣A87
generous enough to let me have a deal where he West East
♠ 10 8 5 3 ♠K9764
described his role as that of the goat, not the hero.
♥875 ♥QJ9
♦92 ♦ 10
Six diamonds looks like a splendid contract here; ideally ♣6543 ♣KQ92
South would like to get North to be declarer, but after a South
♠2
Gerber auction, South settled for declaring what he ♥K62
thought would be the best slam, albeit the wrong way up. ♦AKQJ874
♣ J 10
If the defenders find a passive lead, then declarer can
simply establish an extra spade winner for his 12th trick. Pass 1 NT Pass
How should you play the hand on a club lead, though? 4♣* Pass 4 NT** Pass
6♦ All pass
At the table declarer won the club lead, drew trumps, then *Gerber
led a spade to dummy’s queen. East won his king and **Three aces
cashed a club winner, and declarer claimed the rest.
Opening Lead: ♣6
It was only in the long watches of the night that South
woke up slapping his forehead and realized that while the play in spades might look like a
blind guess, he had given up a 100 percent line for a 50-50 shot.
If you win the club lead and draw trump, then play a spade to the ace and pitch your club
loser on the spade queen, you have guaranteed the contract. Even if West can win the
spade king, the defenders no longer have a club to cash. Moreover, South can
subsequently pitch his slow heart loser on dummy’s spade winner.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your partner has not promised
South Holds: any more than four clubs on this auction,
♠Q84 since your hand typically delivers four or five
♥Q2 clubs for the simple raise of a potentially
♦ 10 6 3 2 short minor. Accordingly, the lead of the club
♣AJ62 ace looks unnecessarily dangerous. I'd lead
a fourth-highest diamond as the most
South West North East passive option.
1♣ 1♥
2♣ 2♥ 3♣ 3♥
All pass
The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, March 6th, 2012
“Our life is frittered away by detail … Simplify, simplify,”

— Henry David Thoreau
Dealer: West North

In the following deal Paul Lavings of Australia displayed Vul: East- ♠AJ7
both good table presence and a fine knowledge of the West ♥A53
♦AK73
percentage tables. ♣J43
West East
He and his partner were playing a weak no-trump, which ♠Q85 ♠ K 10 6 4 3
♥876 ♥ 10 9
led to his declaring four hearts from the South seat.
♦ Q J 10 4 ♦8
Lavings won the lead of the club nine with the ace and ♣985 ♣ K Q 10 7 2
drew trumps in three rounds. What would you have South
♠92
expected him to do next? ♥KQJ42
♦9652
The natural play is to lead out the top diamonds and gulp ♣A6
when the suit splits 4-1. But the correct way to plan the
play is to realize that if diamonds break 3-2, all Pass 1♦ Pass
approaches will succeed. If the suit splits 4-1, with West 1♥ Pass 1 NT* Pass
having shortage, there is no chance of playing diamonds 2♣ Pass 2♥ Pass
4♥ All pass
for one loser, and that is also true if East has the singleton
four. If East has a singleton eight, you have a legitimate *15-17
play to hold your losers to one, and if he has a singleton Opening Lead: ♣9
honor, you have a pressure play to make West’s life hard.
Realizing that, Lavings placed the diamond nine on the table at trick five. When West
covered and the eight appeared from East, it was a simple matter to lead a low diamond
from the board to the six in hand and subsequently finesse against West’s remaining
honor. Declarer’s play had a psychological edge too. Had West begun with J-10-8-4, for
example, it might not have been that easy for him to duck the diamond nine. If he splits his
honors, declarer has again managed to hold the diamond losers to one.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You will not stay short of game in
South Holds: spades. But do you have enough for a
♠ K 10 6 4 3 splinter-bid of four diamonds, showing short
♥ 10 9 diamonds and at least game values? This
♦8 depends on partnership style, but I'd say no,
♣ K Q 10 7 2 though with the club ace instead of the king,
I'd accept the more aggressive action. Some
South West North East play a jump to three no-trump here as a
1♠ Pass raise to four spades with some defense; that
?
might be more suitable.
The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, March 7th, 2012
“And new foul tricks unguessed before

Will win and justify this War.”
— Robert Graves
Dealer: South North

Martin Schaltz is furthering the Danish Schaltz family's Vul: Both ♠—
illustrious bridge tradition — he is the third generation of ♥ 10 3 2
♦ K 10 7 6 2
bridge players to be capped internationally. In this deal he ♣A9854
sat East in the Youth Individual tournament at the first West East
♠K973 ♠ Q 10 2
World Mind Sports Games.
♥J964 ♥AQ7
♦AQJ5 ♦84
Against two spades West led the club queen, taken by ♣Q ♣ 10 7 6 3 2
declarer’s king. South, eyeing dummy’s trump void South
♠AJ8654
philosophically, played the spade ace, then a low spade, ♥K85
won by East with the 10. Martin Schaltz now tabled the ♦93
♣KJ
heart queen, which declarer instinctively ducked. South
naturally expected East to hold the heart jack as well, with South West North East
the ace in West’s hand. His thinking was that with the 1♠ Pass 1 NT Pass
heart 10 on the table, he was “guaranteed” a heart trick. If 2♠ All pass
East continued with the heart jack, he would cover; the

Opening Lead: ♣Q
ace would win, establishing dummy’s 10. And should East
next play a low heart, South would duck, and West’s ace would beat the air.
But none of this logical reasoning allowed for Schaltz’s trickery. East continued with a low
heart, South confidently ducked — but it was West who won with the jack. Back came a
heart to East’s ace, and only now did Schaltz give his partner the club ruff. West
cooperated in this fine defense by returning his fourth heart, enabling East to ruff with his
last trump, the queen.
With the spade king and the diamond ace still to come, it was the defenders who made
the requisite eight tricks, leaving declarer three in the mire.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: When the opponents have
South Holds: agreed on a suit, as here, your partner's
♠— double is for takeout, not penalties — and
♥ 10 3 2 this does not change despite your rather
♦ K 10 7 6 2 unlikely spade (non)holding. Get your
♣A9854 partner to pick a minor at the five-level by
jumping to four no-trump, which suggests a
South West North East two-suiter, logically — clubs and diamonds.
1♠
Pass 3♠ Dbl. Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, March 8th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on March 22nd, 2012
“Why do you walk through the fields in gloves …

Missing so much and so much?”
— Frances Cornford
Dealer: West North

One of the techniques all bridge players must become Vul: East- ♠AK53
familiar with is the avoidance play. To keep the danger West ♥AKJ92
♦A
hand off lead, declarer may have to go to great lengths. In ♣K32
today's deal no trick needs to be sacrificed, but declarer West East
♠Q84 ♠ J 10 7
does need to be careful.
♥5 ♥764
♦ K Q J 10 7 6 3 ♦94
Against four hearts West leads the diamond king to ♣J9 ♣ A Q 10 8 4
dummy’s ace. Where is your 10th winner coming from, South
♠962
and what precautions do you need to take to prevent the ♥ Q 10 8 3
defenders from thwarting your plans? ♦852
♣765
Rather than relying on the club finesse, you should try to
develop a spade trick if you can, which requires spades to 3♦ Dbl. Pass
be 3-3. But you also need to try to do so without letting 3♥ Pass 4♥ All pass
West on lead for a club switch. To accomplish this, first
you lead the heart jack to your queen. A diamond is ruffed Opening Lead: ♦K
high, and then you lead the heart nine to your 10 and
advance the spade nine, planning to let it run.
West must cover with the queen, and you win the spade ace, East unblocking the 10, Now
you play the heart two to the eight in your hand, then advance the spade two. You can
cover West’s card, and East must now win the defense’s spade trick. Consequently, the
contract is safe, spades having split.
If you start spades by leading a high one from dummy, then East unblocks a spade honor
and West can now arrange to win his side’s spade trick for the lethal club play.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your partner's redouble shows
South Holds: extra values and asks you to describe your
♠ J 10 7 hand appropriately at your next turn —
♥764 typically by supporting your partner with
♦94 extra trump or doubling the opponents with
♣ A Q 10 8 4 suitable defense. Here you have a balanced
hand and no diamond support, so have
South West North East nothing to say. You must pass and hope
1♦ Pass your partner knows what to do next.
1 NT Dbl. Rdbl. 2♥
?
The Aces on Bridge: Friday, March 9th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on March 23rd, 2012
“Achievement, noun. The death of endeavor and the birth of disgust.”

— Ambrose Bierce
Dealer: East North

David Gold, a regular on the England Open team, sat Vul: Neither ♠J75
South in this deal at the Young Chelsea Bridge Club. This ♥Q54
♦AKJ83
club has a good claim to be one of the strongest in the ♣A9
world. Duplicates take place every weekday and it would West East
♠962 ♠A
not be unusual to find half a dozen internationals playing
♥J2 ♥ K 10 9 8 7
on any evening. ♦72 ♦ Q 10 9 4
♣KQJ842 ♣ 10 7 5
After East opened two hearts to show at least five cards in South
♠ K Q 10 8 4 3
the major together with an unspecified four-card minor, ♥A63
Gold became declarer in four spades. ♦65
♣63
West led the club king to dummy’s ace, as the club five
appeared from East. It seemed likely that East’s second 2♥*
suit was diamonds, and if East also had the heart king, 2♠ Pass 3♥ Pass
there would be four losers. The only suit likely to provide a 3♠ Pass 4♠ All pass
discard was diamonds. *Hearts and a minor, 6-10
Gold cashed dummy’s top diamonds, then took the Opening Lead: ♣K
precaution of ruffing a third diamond high in hand as West
discarded. The spade queen lost to East’s ace and back came the club 10, overtaken by
West for a heart return, Gold taking his ace.
Now, aware that East held nine red cards and was likely to have three cards in clubs, both
from East’s carding up the line and West’s silence in the auction, Gold placed East with
the singleton trump ace.
Backing his judgment, he continued by finessing dummy’s spade seven, ruffed another
diamond high, and now a trump to the jack allowed him to discard a heart on the
established fifth diamond.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: In this sort of auction a bid of
South Holds: three hearts — a repeat use of the fourth-
♠J75 suit — is best used not as a red two-suiter,
♥Q54 but as a way to ask for a half stop in hearts.
♦AKJ83 If you had both red suits, you would surely
♣A9 simply bid three no-trump now, so your
partner should bid no-trump with any three-
South West North East card heart suit — even three small hearts.
1♣ Pass
1♦ Pass 1♠ Pass
2♥ Pass 3♣ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, March 10th, 2012
“Split the lark and you'll find the music,

Bulb after bulb, in silver rolled,
Scantily dealt to the summer morning,
Saved for your ear when lutes be old.”
— Emily Dickinson
Dealer: South North

When you're a truly great player, even if you have a Vul: North- ♠ K Q 10 9
complete bidding misunderstanding and end up in a South ♥8732
♦K6
dreadful contract, you can still focus and play for your best ♣843
chance. In today's deal Bob Hamman managed to bid West East
♠J63 ♠A87542
himself to the less-than-optimum contract of six diamonds.
♥J5 ♥ 10 6 4
(Let's blame his partner.) ♦932 ♦ Q 10 7
♣ K 10 9 7 6 ♣J
West started with a low spade to dummy’s king, and South
♠—
Hamman ruffed away East’s ace. He then played a ♥AKQ9
diamond to the king, a diamond to the jack, and the ♦AJ854
♣AQ52
diamond ace: one hurdle negotiated successfully.
He then cashed three rounds of hearts and exited with a 1♦ Pass 1♠ Pass
low club. East won his singleton jack, perforce, and now 3♣ Pass 3♦ Pass
had to give dummy three spade tricks (one more than 3♥ Pass 3 NT Pass
4 NT Pass 6♦ All pass
declarer needed at this stage).
Opening Lead: ♠3
Very nicely played, but can you see how the defenders
could have scuppered his plan?
West had (or should have had) a count of the whole deal. He knew declarer had started
with a void in spades, four hearts (his partner having played up the line to show an odd
number), and five diamonds. Therefore, he had four clubs. He could not possibly have
started with A-Q-J-x in clubs or he would have discarded one on the spade queen when
he had the chance. Consequently, East must have the singleton club jack or queen. In
either case, West should go in with the club king, crashing his partner’s honor, and return
the 10, thus ensuring a fourth-round trick for himself in the suit.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: If ever a hand with four trump
South Holds: looked like one with only three, this is it. You
♠ K Q 10 9 would rather slow down the auction than
♥8732 encourage partner to do any more bidding
♦K6 than he feels compelled to. So just raise to
♣843 two hearts and do not feel obligated to
compete any further until partner shows
South West North East signs of life.
1♦ 1♥ Dbl.
?
ANSWER: Best is bridgebase.com. You can

play, watch top-level matches, or practice
Dear Mr. Wolff: using their partnership room. And it is free!
What is the correct procedure to follow when Two recently opened news sites are
calling the Tournament Director? I often feel bridgewinners.com and bridgetopics.com,
my honesty or competence is being both of which have many expert contributors
impugned when my opponents do it, and and news-gatherers.
sometimes in calling for the director I fear I
may have offended my opponents without
meaning to. Dear Mr. Wolff:
— Tactful, Kansas City, Mo. My RHO bid one club, I overcalled one
spade, and my LHO doubled. My partner
passed, holding ♠ 7-3, ♥ A-Q-9-4-2, ♦ K-10-
ANSWER: The procedure you should follow 5-3, ♣ Q-4. Do you agree with his decision to
when you need a director is to say, "I think pass? If not, what should he have done?
we should call the director" and then attract — Silent Partner, Naples, Fla.
his attention efficiently and discreetly. The
act of calling the Director should not cause
offense.
ANSWER: He should not bid two hearts, so
the choice seems to be pass, redouble (if
that simply shows a good hand) or pass and
Dear Mr. Wolff: plan to balance with a double of two clubs.
My partner held ♠ —, ♥ A-2, ♦ A-7-6-5-3, The delayed action would suggest a weaker
♣ A-Q-10-4-3-2. There were two passes to suit and allow partner to correct, if
his RHO, who opened two spades. He necessary.
overcalled three clubs, and when his LHO
bid three spades, he passed it out.
Obviously this was not a success, but what Dear Mr. Wolff:
should he have bid?
We are planning to enter a Swiss Team
— Sold Out, Arlington, Texas event for the first time, but I am not sure how
the format works. Please explain it to me.
— Heidi, Pueblo, Colo.
ANSWER: I think your partner underbid his
hand dramatically. Overcalling three clubs,
then bidding again is reasonable (a call of
four diamonds is about right), but a direct ANSWER: In each Swiss Team match,
call of four no-trump for the minors over two scoring is by Victory Points, meaning that
spades would also be quite sensible. you convert your team's win or loss on each
deal into a narrower scale than total points.
Instead of playing every other team in the
event, you have a random draw for the first
Dear Mr. Wolff: match, and from then on you play a team
Could you suggest an online computer site that has achieved close to the same
for bridge? I am interested in finding a place cumulative results as you. A day will consist
to play and to practice. And I'd be interested of seven or eight matches of approximately
in asking questions where I can find sensible eight boards each.
responses.
— Training-Camp Enlistee, Albany Ga.
“Little drops of water

Little grains of sand,
Make the mighty ocean
And the pleasant land.”
— Julia Carney
Dealer: North North

Today's deal features a small point of technique that might Vul: East- ♠K62
escape you until you see it in practice. West ♥AK983
♦ 10
♣Q953
Against your grand slam in spades (yes, North should West East
simply have shown his heart king over the five-no-trump ♠ 10 9 ♠843
♥J762 ♥5
inquiry) West leads the trump 10, and you count only 12
♦K765 ♦Q9843
top winners even if hearts break. You therefore need to ♣J64 ♣ K 10 7 2
take one extra trick from a diamond ruff before you draw South
♠AQJ75
trump. You win the trump lead with the king, cross to the ♥ Q 10 4
diamond ace, and ruff a diamond. You then draw trump, ♦AJ2
♣A8
throwing a club from dummy. How best now to tackle the
hearts for five tricks? South West North East
1♥ Pass
Just in case West holds four hearts to the jack, you should 1♠ Pass 2♠ Pass
lead your heart 10 to dummy’s ace. When you continue 4 NT Pass 5♥ Pass
5 NT Pass 7♠ All pass
with a low heart to the queen, East shows out. Because of
your earlier unblock, the way is then clear for you to lead Opening Lead: ♠10
the heart four to dummy’s nine. You can then discard a
diamond and club on dummy’s established hearts.
You can see what would happen if you had kept the heart 10 in your hand. When you led
it on the third round, West would play low. With no side entry to dummy, you would then
score three heart tricks instead of five.
(This same unblock would be necessary with five hearts to the A-K-8 facing Q-9-2. To
protect against East’s having the bare jack or 10, you must unblock the nine on the first
round of the suit.)
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: On this deal your target should
South Holds: be to win your small trumps singly, rather
♠KJ753 than letting declarer do the same. Best
♥Q therefore is to lead the heart queen. If you
♦ J 10 8 3 lead the diamond jack, you may let declarer
♣K63 ruff away your diamond winners. With, for
example, ace-fifth in spades, a diamond lead
South West North East would be more attractive.
2♠
All pass
“Soar not too high to fall; but stoop to rise.”

— Philip Massinger
Dealer: West North

In today's deal from a team game, South misjudged both Vul: North- ♠A95
the play and the result that would come through from the South ♥Q65
♦AQ4
other table. ♣KQJ3
West East
In four hearts on the lead of the diamond jack he put in ♠ K J 10 ♠87642
♥A73 ♥9
dummy’s queen. East won the trick and astutely shifted to
♦ J 10 8 6 ♦K973
a spade at trick two. That set up the setting trick for the ♣A65 ♣872
defenders. South
♠Q3
♥ K J 10 8 4 2
At the scoring-up, when his teammates called out minus ♦52
620, South asked suspiciously if West had a led a spade ♣ 10 9 4
to trick one, or if East had forgotten to shift to a spade at
trick two after a diamond lead. East-West denied the 1♦ Dbl. 1♠
charges, and South asked exasperatedly how game had 3♥ Pass 3♠ Pass
been allowed to make. 4♥ All pass
Patiently West explained that their declarer had drawn the Opening Lead: ♦J
correct inference at trick one that West would not be
leading from the K-J-10 of diamonds with what was surely a safer or equivalent holding in
spades, his partner’s suit. Thus East had the diamond king and nothing else. So South
found the imaginative play of ducking the first trick in dummy. If East also ducked this,
declarer could establish a club as a discard for his spade loser at his leisure, and East
could not overtake the lead without setting up the discard at once.
Note that if declarer plays the diamond ace from dummy at trick one, West can underlead
in diamonds to East at his next turn, and the defense will still have time for the spade shift.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Since you are facing a passed
South Holds: hand and a partner who could not or did not
♠ K J 10 redouble one diamond, game seems highly
♥A73 unlikely to make. With a balanced hand, and
♦ J 10 9 6 no reason to believe that spades is the
♣A65 wrong strain for your side, it looks right to
pass now. While bidding one no-trump may
South West North East get you into a slightly better strain, it also
Pass Pass runs the risk of getting you into a much
1♦ Dbl. 1♠ Pass worse one.
?
“The policeman buys shoes slow and careful; the teamster buys gloves slow and careful;
they take care of their feet and hands; they live on their feet and hands.”
— Carl Sandburg
Dealer: South North

After North's routine pre-emptive raise to game, West Vul: Neither ♠ Q J 8 7 5
cashes the heart king and then shifts to the club jack. ♥6
♦J643
Once East follows, how do you propose to make 10 ♣K63
tricks? West East
♠2 ♠96
After taking the club jack with your ace, you draw trump in ♥ A K 10 9 5 3 ♥J842
♦A85 ♦ Q 10 7
two rounds and ruff the heart queen in dummy. Then you ♣ J 10 9 ♣8542
cash the club queen and king, ending in the dummy. Now South
♠ A K 10 4 3
that both hearts and clubs have been eliminated, you lead ♥Q7
a low diamond from dummy, intending to cover whichever ♦K92
♣AQ7
card lower in rank than the king that East might play.
On the given layout, suppose that East follows with the 1♠ 2♥ 4♠ All pass
diamond seven. When you cover this with the nine, West
has to win the trick with the ace and your king is set up Opening Lead: ♥K
immediately. Also, it would not help East to play a
diamond higher than the seven. If he plays the 10, this will be covered by the king and
ace, leaving the jack and nine equals against the defenders’ queen. And, of course, the
diamond queen from East would be even less effective.
On another layout West might win the first diamond with the 10. Then he can do nothing
but play another diamond (allowing you to make the diamond king) or give you a ruff-and-
discard. Thus you will make 10 tricks no matter how the diamond suit lies.
By contrast, if you had played a diamond to the king in today’s layout, West would take it
and return a diamond, giving the defense four tricks.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: It may look obvious to jump to
South Holds: four spades, but you have a vast number of
♠ A K 10 4 3 losers — imagine your partner with queen-
♥Q7 fourth of spades and a stray jack. Best is to
♦K92 jump to three spades, which (since even a
♣AQ7 simple raise to two spades shows a good
hand) suggests huge trump support and at
South West North East least an ace more than a decent opening
1♣ bid.
Dbl. Pass 1♠ Pass
?
“Men must be decided on what they will not do, and then they are able to act with vigor in
what they ought to do.”
— Mencius
Dealer: North North

Today's deal is all about focusing on the possible things Vul: Both ♠J7
that can go wrong in your four-heart game. Some of them ♥A8
♦ Q 10 3
will doom you whatever you do; others will present you ♣ A Q 10 8 7 2
with a roadblock that you can hurdle. See which problems West East
♠ A K 10 9 6 ♠Q854
you think you can overcome. Of course, the points at
♥42 ♥ J 10 9 5
issue are bad breaks in the red suits. ♦J975 ♦4
♣93 ♣KJ54
Against four hearts the defenders lead the two top spades South
♠32
and shift to the club nine. What now? If diamonds break or ♥KQ763
the jack falls singleton, you will have nothing to worry ♦AK862
♣6
about but possible bad trump breaks. What can you do
about bad diamond breaks? Not much if West has the South West North East
shortage, but what if East is the one with short diamonds? 1♣ Pass
1♥ 1♠ Pass 3♠
The answer is that a 4-1 diamond break will not be fatal — 4♦ Pass 4♥ All pass
so long as you are careful. Win the club ace, play the
Opening Lead: ♠K
diamond queen, then lead the diamond three toward the
king.
If diamonds prove to be 3-2, draw three rounds of trump and hope they are no worse than
4-2. But when as here East has short diamonds, he cannot profitably ruff in, so he may as
well pitch a spade.
You win the diamond king, cross to dummy with the heart ace, and lead another diamond.
Again East discards, so you win the ace. Now you can ruff a diamond in dummy. Whether
East overruffs with his trump trick or discards, you will lose only one trump trick and have
10 winners.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: With only one feeble spade stop
South Holds: and no diamond fit, you are best advised to
♠Q854 pass three diamonds and hope your partner
♥ J 10 9 5 can find a way home. In this auction, if your
♦4 partner had wanted to force to game, he
♣KJ54 could have cue-bid two spades at his
second turn, so you should assume he has
South West North East nothing to spare for his jump.
1♦ 1♠
Dbl. Pass 3♦ Pass
?
“The end of man is an action and not a thought, though it were the noblest.”
— Thomas Carlyle
Dealer: North North

Today's deal comes from the U.S. trials of a couple of Vul: North- ♠A7543
years ago, where two of the top pairs in the country, South ♥95
♦AK5
Bobby Levin and Steve Weinstein, lost today's battle but ♣A98
won the war, when their squad emerged victorious to West East
♠J9 ♠ K 10 8 6 2
represent USA in Veldhoven in 2011.
♥J64 ♥ Q 10 8 7 3 2
♦J963 ♦ Q 10
The auction may look confusing, but all the spade calls ♣J765 ♣—
were artificial. Weinstein showed the majors, letting Brad South
♠Q
Moss show clubs and a game-forcing hand. Now Fred ♥AK
Gitelman as North initially showed his spade stopper, then ♦8742
♣ K Q 10 4 3 2
when South showed both minors and slam interest, his
four-spade call was a cue-bid. After the double the four- South West North East
no-trump bid suggested a hand better than a sign-off in 1 NT 2♥*
five clubs, so Moss bid the club slam. 2♠** Pass 3♠ Pass
4♦ Pass 4♠ Dbl.
Rdbl. Pass 4 NT Pass
When Bobby Levin kicked off with the spade jack, Moss
6♣ All pass
won the ace, knowing that he was likely to have to ruff a
*Both majors
diamond in dummy. If East was going to follow to a round
**Clubs
or two of diamonds, then trumps were going to break
badly. Opening Lead: ♠J
Accordingly, at trick two Moss crossed to hand in hearts, played a club to the nine, cashed
the ace-king of diamonds, and played another diamond. That way Moss could ruff the
fourth diamond in dummy without losing a trump. This approach would also have been
required with a few specific layouts when West had as little as jack-third of trumps.
Not surprisingly, Moss was the only one of four declarers who brought home this slam. If
you start with a top trump from hand, the bad trump break dooms you.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You are far too strong to jump to
South Holds: four spades, but the fact that everyone is
♠A7543 bidding suggests someone is light for his
♥95 action. You should cue-bid three diamonds,
♦AK5 planning to bid a forcing three spades next
♣A98 (or cue-bid four diamonds if partner bids
three spades). If partner shows no signs of
South West North East life, give up at four spades.
1♦ Dbl. 2♦
?
“But I've grown thoughtful now. And you have lost

Your early-morning freshness of surprise
At being so utterly mine.”
— Siegfried Sassoon
Dealer: South North

Today's deal has several points of interest. First, look at Vul: East- ♠852
the auction: does North's pass of four hearts describe his West ♥J43
♦ 10 5 3 2
hand? I'd say yes. The pass IS forcing, and I prefer to play ♣ 10 7 6
double by North as suggesting some defense, with a pass West East
♠— ♠Q943
implicitly weak.
♥ A K Q 10 8 6 5 ♥972
♦94 ♦QJ87
South now has to guess whether to bid six spades at his ♣Q985 ♣43
second turn — not unreasonable since any working queen South
♠ A K J 10 7 6
in the North hand gives slam good play — or to go low ♥—
with a call of four spades. Even the pessimistic action is ♦AK6
♣AKJ2
quite high enough today.
On the lead of the heart king South ruffs and plays the 2♣ 4♥ Pass Pass
spade ace, discovering the bad break. Now he must be 4♠ All pass
careful, since if he drives out the trump queen, the
defenders can force him and he never scores a third club Opening Lead: ♥K
trick. If he plays ace, king and a third club, the defenders
lead a fourth club and score a second trump winner. Playing three rounds of diamonds
before clubs simply lets East win and lead hearts again, and declarer will be defeated.
The winning line at trick three is simple and elegant — but not easy to find at the table.
Declarer must lead the club jack from hand, giving the defenders the awkward choice of
winning and providing South with an entry to dummy for the trump finesse, or of ducking.
If West does play low, declarer can simply drive out the spade queen and has five trump
tricks and five side-suit winners.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: If your partnership is not
South Holds: permitted to jump in spades after the double
♠Q943 to show a pre-emptive raise, you can be
♥972 sure that you will not be applying the
♦QJ87 appropriate degree of pressure to the
♣43 opponents when you have a fit and a weak
hand. Here it must be best to use a jump to
South West North East two no-trump for a limit raise in spades and
1♠ Dbl. make a jump in spades with a hand like this.
?
by Bobby Wolff on April 1st, 2012

I see you lead king from ace king. I As dealer I picked up ♠ Q-10-5-3, ♥ 9-4 ♦ K-
understand Rusinow leads involve leading 7-3, ♥ A-Q-7-2, and passed initially. When I
second from touching honors. I know from heard a weak two-diamond call to my left,
the ACBL Encyclopedia that they are passed back to me, was I right to pass? As it
supposed to be "off" in no-trump contracts turned out, our side had good play for three
and when leading partner's bid suit. With the no-trump and collected only 100 in
above in mind, what is your take on these undertricks.
methods?
— Undercooked, Tucson, Ariz.
— Jaba the Hut, Ames, Iowa
ANSWER: Some hands are just too hard. If

ANSWER: In fact Rusinow leads work well you had guessed to double, partner might
at both no-trump and suits. The problem is have jumped to four hearts, while if you had
that leads of the jack and 10 from short suits bid two no-trump, you might have gone for
are sometimes ambiguous. That said, one your life when partner was weak. If you can't
should also combine them at no-trump with stand to pass, the only conceivable bid here
using the king as an unblock lead from three is two spades — and I'm not foolhardy
honors, while the ace is from A-K without the enough to risk that either.
queen or jack.
Dear Mr. Wolff:

Dear Mr. Wolff:
I held 20 points, no singleton or void, and
In fourth seat my partner held ♠ 4, ♥ K-7-3, five spades. Was I supposed to open two no-
♦ A-K-9-4-2, ♣ A-10-5-3 and opened one trump, or one spade?
diamond. After a one-spade overcall, passed
back to him, he reopened with two clubs and — Goodies Galore, Edmonton, Alberta
we missed our penalty. (I had five good
spades and nine points.) He said he could
not double without four hearts. What do you ANSWER: When in the right range, you are
say? almost always better off opening two no-
trump with a balanced or semi-balanced
— Lying in Ambush, Torrance, Calif. hand — unless you have a simple way to
show your hand. By this I mean that with 5-4
pattern you may prefer to open the long suit
ANSWER: In this sequence, reopening and jump in the other suit. Some experts will
when holding full values and short spades is go further and open two no-trump with a
mandatory. The fact that your partner has at singleton high honor. Without necessarily
least three cards in an unbid suit is more agreeing with them, the no-trump call
than sufficient. After all, if you pick hearts, he sounds very much the right option with your
won't exactly be giving you an unsuitable hand.
holding to work with. For the same reason a
regular takeout double suggests but does
not promise four cards in every unbid suit.
Dear Mr. Wolff:

What is the definition of a responsive
double? Is the critical factor that partner's
first action is a double, or that the opponents
have bid and raised the same suit?
— Dictionary Johnson, Dover, Del.
ANSWER: When partner doubles, you make

a responsive double if the opponents raise
the same suit, but NOT if the opponents bid
a new suit — then your double is business.
Conversely, if partner overcalls and the
opponents either raise the bid suit or bid a
new suit, your double would be values,
suggesting the unbid suit(s) — typically with
tolerance for partner. By contrast, your
bidding a suit suggests more length or
strength in that suit, while you may have
fewer values and less tolerance for partner.
by Bobby Wolff on April 2nd, 2012
“The best laid schemes o' mice an' men

Gang aft a-gley.”
— Robert Burns
Dealer: West North

The partnership between two of the world's greats, Zia Vul: North- ♠AKQ3
Mahmood and Bob Hamman, will be coming to an end South ♥2
♦532
later this year, after a seven-year run in which they won a ♣ Q J 10 5 2
Bermuda Bowl and several national titles. Both players West East
♠— ♠J75
are capable of extremely inventive card-play, and though
♥AJ98753 ♥K6
they may not have gelled perfectly as a pair in the bidding, ♦J7 ♦ 10 9 8 6
they will leave behind a treasure trove of deals for the ♣A943 ♣K876
South
journalists. ♠ 10 9 8 6 4 2
♥ Q 10 4
Take the following deal from the 2011 Spingold, when they ♦AKQ4
♣—
came from behind to defeat the O’Rourke team. Check
out the full hand, and tell me which side you would fancy if South West North East
you knew one table had played in five spades and the 4♥ Dbl. Pass
other in six spades. 5♠ Pass 6♠ All pass
Here’s the full story: In the other room, where Hamman’s Opening Lead: ♥A
teammates sat North-South, Eddie Wold (West) opened
one heart and Roger Bates (East) raised to two hearts when South doubled. Now North-
South reached five spades in competition, but were never close to the slam.
In the other room the auction was as shown. Hamman led the heart ace against six
spades … and Zia dropped the king! Now when Hamman continued with a second heart,
can you blame declarer for ruffing high, expecting hearts to be 8-1 and hoping trumps
were not 3-0? This was the only way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, but I might
have done the same thing myself. And all credit to Zia for finding the false-card that tipped
the scales in his favor.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: The opponents have had a
South Holds: limited auction in which suits do not appear
♠Q943 to be lying well for them, so my instincts are
♥95 to try to produce a passive defense. With no
♦J75 particular confidence I'd lead the heart nine,
♣ A 10 8 2 expecting that while it might give declarer a
tempo, it is relatively unlikely to finesse
South West North East partner out of an intermediate honor. My
1♥ Pass 1♠ second choice would be a spade rather than
Pass 2♦ Pass 2 NT
a club.
All pass
by Bobby Wolff on April 3rd, 2012
“Prosperity doth best discover vice, but adversity doth best discover virtue.”
— Francis Bacon
Dealer: East North

Sometimes a defense may seem so obvious that it might Vul: Both ♠72
almost be insulting to point it out. But when an opponent ♥ J 10 4 2
♦ 10 2
misses it at the table, maybe others will learn from his ♣J9764
mistake (plus enjoy a touch of schadenfreude). West East
♠853 ♠AKQJ96
♥3 ♥Q8
Check out this deal from the first qualifying session of the
♦KQJ864 ♦A973
Norman Kay Platinum Pairs in last year’s spring nationals ♣ 10 8 2 ♣Q
at Louisville, the source of all this week’s deals. South
♠ 10 4
♥AK9765
East-West had missed out on five spades when East ♦5
made the simple raise to four spades — quite reasonable, ♣AK53
but had he tried four diamonds, his partner would surely
have got it right. In auctions of this sort, when you have 1♠
hearts and the opponents have spades, describing your 2♥ 2♠ 3♥ 4♠
hand to help partner judge the five-level should be 5♣ Pass 5♥ All pass
mandatory. In this case, East could not foresee the
Opening Lead: ♦K
denouement when he bid four spades, but he might
nonetheless have taken the risk of helping the opponents in the defense to insure his side
competed appropriately.
That said, at least it behooved the defense to beat five hearts and lessen the damage.
West led the diamond king against five hearts and continued the suit. Now the contract
made, when a spade loser vanished on the clubs!
I blame both defenders, but especially East. West might have worked out that a spade
switch at trick two could be necessary, but East surely should have overtaken the
diamond king to cash the spade king. West will signal count and East will take the second
spade trick before the rats get at it.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Although it is possible to
South Holds: construct specific hands where slam will
♠AKQJ96 make for your partnership, it is asking too
♥Q8 much to expect him to cover all those losers,
♦A973 and if you make a slam try you may get into
♣Q the no-man's land of the five-level. While you
might make a splinter bid of four clubs if your
South West North East singleton club honor were in the diamond
1♠ Pass 2♠ Pass suit, here a simple raise to game should be
? enough.
The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, March 21st, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on April 4th, 2012
“You make your own luck, Gig.

You know what makes a good loser? Practice.”
— Ernest Hemingway
Dealer: South North

All this week's deals come from last year's spring Vul: Neither ♠ A K J 9 3 2
nationals at Louisville, to mark the fact that this week the ♥A
♦K852
2011 Nationals are being held in Memphis. ♣Q3
West East
In this deal from the second semifinal session of the ♠75 ♠Q86
Norman Kay Platinum Pairs, the field played four spades ♥J865 ♥942
♦ A 10 7 ♦QJ9
with the North-South cards — a perfectly reasonable spot, ♣ J 10 5 2 ♣A874
doomed on the lead of the diamond queen by East. South
♠ 10 4
♥ K Q 10 7 3
Josh Parker and Bruce Rogoff play a strong club system. ♦643
Parker’s one-spade showed a balanced positive ♣K96
response, so Rogoff bid what he thought his partner could
make. Now the contract was played objectively the “wrong Pass Pass 1♣ Pass
way” up. But while East had an easy diamond lead, West 1♠* Pass 4♠ All pass
had a very unattractive diamond holding to lead from. *Positive values, balanced hand
On the lead of the club jack, Parker put up dummy’s Opening Lead: ♣J
queen. East took the club ace and correctly continued
with a club to remove the entry to the South hand. Parker won, went to the heart ace to
unblock the suit, and now had to try to build an entry to his hand. To put maximum
pressure on the defenders, he led the spade nine from dummy. East cracked under the
pressure and put up the spade queen. So now Parker was able to get to hand with the
spade 10 to pitch two of dummy’s diamonds on the top hearts, then lead up to the
diamond king for plus 420.
If East had ducked the first spade lead smoothly, declarer might well have gone wrong.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: As a passed hand, you can
South Holds: afford to bid two hearts. It is easy to see that
♠ 10 4 there are deals where you can make four
♥ K Q 10 7 3 hearts, or that hearts might be the best
♦643 strain. If your partner is desperately short in
♣K96 hearts, he will know that you, as a passed
hand, won't hold a good six-card suit, and so
South West North East can convert to a better spot.
Pass Pass 1♠ Pass
1 NT Pass 2♣ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, March 22nd, 2012
“We prove what we want to prove, and the real difficulty is to know what we want to
prove.”
— Emile Chartier
Dealer: West North

Today's deal from the spring nationals at Louisville last Vul: East- ♠—
year comes from the semifinals of the Vanderbilt Trophy. West ♥ A Q 10 7 6 5
♦ A Q 10 9 8
One of the four pairs played six hearts here and could not ♣A7
bring it home. The other three pairs all reached six West East
♠52 ♠97643
spades, and one declarer was fortunate enough after a
♥42 ♥K983
totally artificial auction to receive a heart lead, which he ♦KJ7632 ♦54
ducked to East's king. No matter what came back, ♣632 ♣K4
South
declarer could arrange to draw trump and run the hearts. ♠ A K Q J 10 8
♥J
But at the other two tables, on very similar auctions to the ♦—
♣ Q J 10 9 8 5
one shown, West led a low club. Since the lead could
equally well have been from length or shortage, both South West North East
declarers went up with the ace and ruffed a red-suit to Pass 1♥ Pass
hand to play trump from the top, hoping for a 4-3 spade 1♠ Pass 3♦ Pass
split. They both went down a trick when spades did not
break. Opening Lead: ♣2
From a psychological and mathematical perspective, I believe both players misplayed the
hand. The chance that West held a singleton club is no better than 15 percent, and,
especially on this auction, you would surely expect a club lead, no matter what West had
in the suit. The best play is to duck the ace and try to win the club in hand. If you do so,
draw trump in five rounds, discarding the club ace from dummy, and knock out the club
king for a painless 12 tricks. If the club king is to your right, you will still survive, so long as
there is no immediate club ruff.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: In this auction, where you would
South Holds: start with a double of one no-trump with a
♠97643 decent balanced hand, you can afford to
♥K983 cue-bid two diamonds to show a limited
♦54 hand with both majors. This way, not only do
♣K4 you get to the best fit, but you also allow
partner to compete if necessary, knowing he
South West North East is facing a shapely hand.
1♦ Dbl. 1 NT
?
The Aces on Bridge: Friday, March 23rd, 2012
“Pleasure is labor too, and tires as much.”

— William Cowper
Dealer: North North

This excellent card-play problem arose during the second Vul: Neither ♠ A Q 3
round of the Vanderbilt Knockout Teams from Louisville ♥KQ85
♦A985
last spring. It's a two-parter: Consider it first in six clubs by ♣43
North and then the actual problem of six clubs by South. West East
♠J852 ♠ K 10 9 6
♥97632 ♥J4
In six clubs by North on a trump lead, you draw trump,
♦42 ♦KQ63
pitching a spade from hand. Now perhaps the best thing ♣85 ♣J92
to do is strip off four rounds of hearts, then run the South
♠74
diamond jack to endplay East, unless he began with five ♥ A 10
hearts. Almost as good at trick four is to run the diamond ♦ J 10 7
♣ A K Q 10 7 6
jack to East’s queen. Even if East could exit with a heart
and avoid setting up the suit for you, you can cash the ace South West North East
and ruff a diamond in dummy. If the remaining high 1 NT Pass
diamond does not appear, you fall back on the spade 4♣ Pass 4♠ Pass
6♣ All pass
finesse.
Opening Lead: ♦4
At the table, in six clubs by South, you get the lead of the
diamond four; you duck, and East wins the king. Back comes a trump, and you draw three
rounds, then cash the three top hearts. If the heart J-9 fall, it’s all over. When East shows
out on the third heart, you pitch the diamond 10 on the third heart and play the diamond
ace, West following with the two, East with the eight. When you lead the diamond nine
from dummy, East follows with the six. Who has the queen? Surely East. If West has led
the diamond four from Q-4-2, he deserves to beat you!
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your partner has four hearts in a
South Holds: balanced minimum. (If he has extra shape,
♠AQ3 he will be at the bottom end of this range),
♥KQ85 so though your side appears to have a
♦A985 decent double fit and the spade finesse
♣43 rates to be working if necessary, slam is a
long way off. Just bid four hearts; even if
South West North East partner has the club ace and the missing red
1♦ 1♠ high honors, you'll probably need a decent
Dbl. Pass 2♥ Pass break in at least one red suit.
?
“I once told you that I am not a saint, and I hope never to see the day that I cannot admit
having made a mistake.”
— Gerald Ford
Dealer: North North

When a top-ranked player slips up in a simple deal, it is Vul: East- ♠A63
always interesting to speculate why. At the table West led West ♥Q95
♦KJ
a low club to the two, the 10 (a helpful card from East to ♣J7532
suggest to West that the defenders did not have a club West East
♠97
trick) and the ace. South then played a spade to dummy's ♠KJ2
♥32
♥ K J 10 8 6
ace and a spade to the 10 and jack. Now West followed ♦ A 10 9 8 5 4
♦Q62
the basic principle of cashing the master trump to draw 3
♣64
♣ 10 9
two of his opponents' trumps. Then he shifted to a South
diamond; too late! Declarer guessed the diamonds and ♠ Q 10 8 5 4
♥A74
had 10 tricks. Had West played a diamond first (logical, ♦7
since he needs his partner to hold a red ace to have any ♣AKQ8
chance to set the hand), he is a tempo ahead after East's
heart switch.
1♣ Pass
1♠ Pass 1 NT Pass
Note that on an initial heart lead, declarer does best to 2♦* Pass 2♠ Pass
take the queen, cross to a club, and lead a diamond up, 4♠ All pass
building his discard before playing trump — but he had *Game-forcing checkback.
better guess well.
Opening Lead: ♣6
At another table Jan Jansma as South reached four
spades after North had passed initially. He benefited from a fourth-highest diamond-two
lead to the jack and ace, and a club shift. He won in hand and decided that East had long
diamonds but had not bid, so could not hold much outside. He therefore advanced the
spade queen at trick three! This was covered all around, and now he had only one spade
loser once the nine appeared on the second round: 11 tricks, and a top board.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Were you tempted to redouble? It
South Holds: is indeed a natural reaction. But when you
♠KJ2 have a moderate one-suiter, even one with
♥ K J 10 8 6 enough high cards for the redouble, you are
♦Q62 generally better advised simply to bid the
♣64 suit. Here, unless you bid one heart now,
you might never get this hand described if
South West North East you redouble and hear the opponents jump
1♦ Dbl. in a black suit.
?

My parents taught me bridge many years Recently, you advised against using MUD
ago using the Goren Point Count system, from three cards when on lead. Please
where extra points are given for voids, explain what your reasoning is. I do
doubletons, and singletons. I continue to sometimes use MUD when I do not have a
play rubber bridge socially with friends and sequence, and a trump lead might give
at some point I was told that one can't count declarer a free finesse.
both the high-card value and the shortage
value if the honor in unprotected. Is this — Ask Alice, Raleigh, N. C.
true?
— The Long and the Short of It, San Ramon,ANSWER: Leading from three small is not
Calif. an offense; my point was more about the
card you should select. The problem with
leading the middle card is that it often
ANSWER: I suggest you don’t add points for causes partner a problem in reading your
shortness in suits where there are honors. length and strength. He may find out by the
While I do advocate adding points for second round of the suit — but often by then
shortness when you have found a fit, I think it may be too late. I tend to lead low unless
one should be very careful about it — and I've shown three-plus cards in that suit, when
only do it when in doubt. Treat a singleton I can lead high and hopefully eliminate the
king as worth LESS than face value. ambiguity.

Just recently I picked up a remarkably good I had sympathy with one of my opponents,
hand: ♠ A-Q-J-7-3-2, ♥ 9, ♦ K-Q-J, ♣ K-Q-4. who did very much the wrong thing holding
My left-hand opponent opened four hearts ♠ K-7, ♥ Q-4-2, ♦ A-Q-10-5-3, ♣ J-10-4. He
nonvulnerable. My partner doubled — card- overcalled two diamonds over one heart with
showing. Can you suggest what the various nobody vulnerable, and when this was
possibilities might be now? Would four no- doubled on his left, he passed of course. I
trump be Blackwood here? If not, what sat it out with five decent diamonds and 11
would it be? I actually jumped to six spades points. Down a remarkable 800! Was this bid
and lost just the heart ace. so bad?
— Shooting Star, Little Rock, Ark. — Trapped, Bristol, Va.
ANSWER: Your bidding was just perfect. If ANSWER: For years I've been preaching
feeling ambitious, I would have looked for a against overcalling at the two-level with suits
grand slam one of two ways: cue-bid, then like this, especially with weak length in the
bid six spades, or bid four no-trump — opponents' suit. It won't always backfire, but
implicitly minors — then follow up with a bid it makes the overcaller's partner's life
of six spades). Over a double of four of a impossible if a player will bid both with this
major, a bid of four no-trump is a two-suiter, hand and the same hand where the heart
implicitly the minors, not Blackwood. two is the diamond king. Don't overcall at the
two-level unless you have a six-carder, or a
good hand with a very good five-carder. The
Dear Mr. Wolff: same hand with the diamond king instead of
the three is just fine.
We play both Jacoby and Texas transfers.
How should we continue when the transfer
bid is doubled?
— Doubled and Vulnerable, Janesville, Wis.
ANSWER: Over a Jacoby transfer (which is

not game-forcing), use the pass as showing
only a doubleton trump in support for
partner. That lets him redouble to get back
into the transfer sequences, or bid a new suit
to suggest a two-suiter with invitational
values and the desire to compete further.
Over the Texas transfer, in itself game-
forcing, complete the transfer if you want to
be declarer on the lead of the doubled suit,
or pass it around to partner with a vulnerable
holding.
“Alas, regardless of their doom,

The little victims play!
No sense have they of ills to come,
Nor care beyond today.”
— Thomas Gray
Dealer: West North

Today's deal presents a problem for South at teams. Vul: North- ♠AKJ52
When your partner doubles three clubs, should you settle South ♥A97
♦K762
for the safe plus by passing, or should you go for the big ♣4
prize by trying three no-trump? West East
♠86 ♠Q74
♥J653 ♥KQ8
In an Australian event, Marlene Watts and Jamie Ebery
♦8 ♦ J 10 9 5 4
were one of the few pairs to go plus (almost) legitimately ♣AQ8532 ♣76
here. Against three no-trump, West started off well South
♠ 10 9 3
enough by leading a heart; East won and shifted to clubs ♥ 10 4 2
to the jack and queen. Back came a low heart now, East ♦AQ3
♣ K J 10 9
winning again and continuing clubs — fatally. He should
have inferred from his partner’s play of a low heart at trick South West North East
three that West had four hearts, and have continued the 3♣ Dbl. Pass
suit. 3 NT All pass
Ebery put up the king, losing to the ace, and pitched a Opening Lead: ♥3
spade from dummy. Then he won his heart ace and
carefully cashed the spade king and the diamond king. He then led a diamond to the ace,
discovering the 5-1 break and getting a perfect count of the hand.
Now he ran the clubs, coming down to the spade ace and two small diamonds in dummy,
with two small spades and the diamond queen in hand. East, who had to discard from his
doubleton spade queen and the diamond J-10, elected to pitch a spade.
Since East was known to have two diamonds left, declarer crossed to the spade ace and
came back to the diamond queen to score his long spade at trick 13 — a perfect
crisscross squeeze.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You have no reason to try to be a
South Holds: hero in positions like this. A heart lead is
♠AQ63 unlikely to cost, and your own suits have
♥5 already been bid by other players, so you
♦J73 might as well opt for the suit that your
♣J7532 partner has bid. He can hardly complain if
that works out badly.
1♦ 1♥ 1♠
Pass 2♣ Pass 2 NT
All pass
“Old age is an incurable disease.”

— Seneca
Dealer: South North

The late Dr. Nissan Rand, a former double World Vul: North- ♠A87
Champion, was one of the most fervent advocates of South ♥K975
♦K4
senior bridge. Under his auspices world championships at ♣K932
senior level took on equal ranking with the open, women West East
♠Q96 ♠ 10 5 4 2
and junior events. Because these days I have also
♥ 10 ♥2
become a devotee of senior bridge, I owe him a great ♦ A J 10 9 8 ♦Q76532
debt of gratitude! ♣AJ76 ♣85
South
♠KJ3
In today’s deal Nissan’s sequence of making a forcing ♥AQJ8643
pass, then removing the double, was conventional to ♦—
♣ Q 10 4
show a stronger hand than a direct call of five hearts. At
his third turn North felt he held at least a king more than South West North East
he had so far promised in the bidding, so he took a shot at 1♥ 2♦ 3♦ 5♦
the small slam. Pass Pass Dbl. Pass
West led the diamond ace, ruffed. Hardly pausing for
Opening Lead: ♦A
breath, Rand cashed the heart ace, then led a low club to
dummy’s king. This held, as was expected from the bidding. Now came the diamond king,
Nissan discarding his club 10, and next a club to his queen. West won with the ace,
whereupon Nissan claimed the slam, as West was endplayed.
A spade would be into South’s spade tenace, a diamond gives a ruff and discard for the
losing spade to be discarded; and if a low club is returned, the nine is inserted. Either it
wins, or clubs break 3-3, in which case dummy’s 13sth club takes care of South’s losing
spade.
Though technically the slam can be made after any lead, this line required no guesswork
for declarer.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: The right time to raise your
South Holds: partner when you have only three-card
♠A87 support is when you have a small doubleton
♥K975 in a side suit. Here you have moderate
♦K4 three-card support, but more importantly you
♣K932 have a top honor in each side-suit, so you
should not feel embarrassed about rebidding
South West North East one no-trump and limiting your hand
1♣ Pass 1♠ Pass precisely.
?
“How much pain have cost us the evils which have never happened.”
— Thomas Jefferson
Dealer: South North

Today's deal comes from a recent U.S. Nationals, where Vul: East- ♠763
IMP scoring was in place. What that means is that just like West ♥ Q J 10 8 4
♦ 10 4
in a team game the swings on the big deals would ♣KQ9
determine whether you did well or badly, unlike the West East
♠ 10 4 ♠QJ9
standard pair game, where every deal is equally
♥K7653 ♥92
important. ♦Q85 ♦976
♣752 ♣ 10 8 6 4 3
The deal came up in the first final session of the IMP South
♠AK852
Pairs. The author indicated that he was lucky enough to ♥A
be the beneficiary of a gift here, but that names would not ♦AKJ32
♣AJ
be used, to protect the guilty. Where would you like to
play? The slam of six spades is not great, but it is quite South West North East
playable. South’s decision not to open two clubs is 1♠ Pass 2♠ Pass
questionable, but once he found a moderate hand and 3♦ Pass 4♠ Pass
4 NT Pass 5♣ Pass
spade support opposite, nothing could keep him below the 5♦ Pass 5♠* Pass
six-level. How should South play on a club lead? 6♠ All pass
*No trump queen
The right answer is to win the club ace, cash the top
spades, then play off the heart ace. Now you take your Opening Lead: ♣7
two high diamonds and ruff a diamond. If the suit splits,
you are home. If East overruffs, you were never going to make it. However, if you ruff the
third diamond and no queen appears, but East cannot overruff, you take your second
chance. You run the heart queen to pitch a diamond. So long as the heart king is onside,
you rate to be able to pitch your diamonds on the winning club and a heart in dummy.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You have enough to bid two
South Holds: hearts — but what if the next hand raises to
♠763 three diamonds? You will not then have
♥ Q J 10 8 4 enough to commit the hand to four clubs, so
♦ 10 4 you may be better off raising to three clubs
♣KQ9 directly, planning to bid three hearts when
the opponents compete to three diamonds.
South West North East That sequence surely suggests this sort of
1♦ 2♣ 2♦ hand.
?
“Every great advance in science has issued from a new audacity of the imagination.”
— John Dewey
Dealer: South North

Today's hand comes from the Open Teams Semifinal Vul: East- ♠ 10 4
between Italy and Norway at the first World Mind Sports West ♥AK54
♦A7642
Games from Beijing three years ago. ♣J9
West East
In the first room South for Italy bid and repeated his ♠AQ7 ♠82
♥Q96 ♥ J 10 7 2
spades. When North now introduced his hearts, South bid
♦Q ♦ K 10 9 8
three no-trump. The operation was successful, in a sense, ♣ 10 8 7 6 4 3 ♣Q52
but after a club lead, declarer had to use heart entries to South
♠KJ9653
try to bring the spades in. When it proved impossible to ♥83
develop the spade suit, the defenders had time to enjoy ♦J53
♣AK
their clubs and set up hearts, and declarer finished no
fewer than four down! South West North East
1♠ Pass 2♦ Pass
At the second table the bidding was as shown here. The 2♠ Pass 3 NT Pass
decision by South, Terje Aa, to remove to four spades was 4♠ All pass
right, as it takes perfect defense to defeat the spade
Opening Lead: ♦Q
game. However, Fulvio Fantoni and Claudio Nunes were
up to the task.
Fantoni led his lone diamond, taken by dummy’s ace, Nunes contributing the 10. The
spade 10 ran to West’s queen and now, since declarer had not played for discards on the
hearts, West inferred that his partner had the queen. So he switched to a heart. Winning
in dummy, declarer played a second spade to the king and ace, and the heart return from
Fantoni gave South no chance. He had to play a diamond toward his jack at this point, as
he was in dummy for the last time. Nunes rose with the king and returned a diamond for
Fantoni to ruff with the defenders’ last trump. One down.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your choice is to pass — which
South Holds: you know will freeze your side out of the
♠ 10 4 auction forever — or to risk a takeout
♥AK54 double. The danger is of course that you will
♦A7642 finish up in clubs with an unsatisfactory
♣J9 trump holding, the upside is that you may
push the opponents higher or find a makable
South West North East partscore. Put me down as a bidder.
1♠ Pass 2♠
?
“Nobody ever did anything very foolish except from some strong principle.”
— Lord Melbourne
Dealer: North North

Today's deal features a trump coup, a maneuver by which Vul: Both ♠AK84
declarer can find a way to draw trump by the aid of a ♥K7
♦AK93
finesse when one hand has no trumps in it. Does that ♣Q75
sound impossible? Look at the deal and see if you can West East
♠ 10 9 5 2 ♠J73
work out how South can avoid a trump loser without
♥5 ♥J832
seeing through the backs of the cards. ♦7654 ♦ J 10 8
♣ J 10 9 4 ♣AK6
Against four hearts the club jack is led, which holds the South
♠Q6
trick. After taking his club ace and king, East exits with a ♥ A Q 10 9 6 4
diamond. Declarer wins the diamond queen and cashes ♦Q2
♣832
the heart king and ace, getting the bad news.
Now a trump reduction is required to bring South’s trumps 1♦ Pass
down to the same number as East’s. So next comes a 1♥ Pass 2 NT Pass
diamond to the king, and the diamond nine ruffed in hand. 4♥ All pass
Declarer continues by leading the spade six to the king,
Opening Lead: ♣J
and the diamond ace is ruffed in hand. Finally the spade
queen is led to the ace, reducing everyone to two cards. A spade from dummy now traps
East’s J-8 of hearts. Whether he ruffs high or low, you can claim the rest.
As the play went, declarer has to play a diamond after the heart king and ace to achieve
the ending he wants. For declarer to succeed, he needs East to have begun with at least
six cards in spades and diamonds, and at least two cards in each suit. Otherwise, East
can pitch his spades on the run of the diamonds and disrupt the timing.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Despite the fact that your partner
South Holds: may be weak, you must start by doubling
♠AK84 one heart. If the opponents show signs of
♥K7 having their values, or partner makes a
♦AK93 minimum call, you may decide to let well
♣Q75 enough alone. But bear in mind that your
partner may have shape even if he does not
South West North East have values.
1♦ Pass 1♥
?
The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, March 31st, 2012
“Don't strew me with roses after I'm dead.

When Death claims the light of my brow,
No flowers of life will cheer me: instead
You may give me my roses now!”
— Thomas F. Healey
Dealer: East North

Today's deal comes from a pairs event at the Gold Coast Vul: East- ♠ K J 10 7 6 3
tournament in Australia last spring. Many a bloom is born West ♥K93
♦85
to blush unseen, as the poet says, but fortunately Steve ♣J6
and Betty Bloom have teammates who can relate their West East
♠A54 ♠—
deeds of derring-do.
♥J7 ♥ 10 8 4
♦AQJ4 ♦97632
The auction had made it hard for North-South to find their ♣ K 10 9 7 ♣Q8542
spade fit, and they ended in their eight-card heart fit not South
♠Q982
their 10-card fit. However, they had at least managed to ♥AQ652
declare the hand the right way up, and thus had avoided ♦ K 10
♣A3
the killing diamond lead.
When Betty Bloom led the club 10, declarer, Sartaj Hans, Pass
knew that with spade ruffs looming and an unpleasant 1♥ Dbl. Rdbl 2 NT*
diamond shift from East on the horizon, he needed to Dbl. 3♣ 3♥ 4♣
4♥ All pass
tread carefully. He covered the club 10 in dummy and
captured Steve Bloom’s queen with his ace, drew trump *Minors
and played on hearts. East had followed up the line in Opening Lead: ♣10
trumps (suit preference for the lowest suit), then pitched a
discouraging diamond nine on the fourth trump, and a suit preference diamond two on the
fifth. Betty got the picture. When she won the spade ace, she underled her clubs, playing
the club seven, overtaken by Steve with the club eight for the fatal diamond shift and one
down.
This was a clear top for the defenders. At every other table in the main final, 10 tricks
were taken in spades or hearts by North-South (even when North was declarer and a
diamond lead would have defeated four spades by force).
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Hide this answer from my
South Holds: friends, but I think there is much to be said
♠Q982 for opening one no-trump. The problem with
♥AQ652 a one-heart opening is that you have no
♦ K 10 sensible call over a response of one no-
♣A3 trump. Equally, if you have a major-suit fit,
you are quite happy to be declarer and
South West North East protect your tenaces. It may not work out,
? but it is probably the most prepared bid
available.
The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, April 1st, 2012
ANSWER: One other issue is relevant: What

seat were you in? I'd pass a first-in-hand
Dear Mr. Wolff: pre,empt, especially at this vulnerability,
When my partner dealt and opened one because I know my partner might take
spade, I could not decide whether to unusual liberties. Over a second-seat pre-
respond, holding ♠ J, ♥ J-10-9-4-3, ♦ Q-8-5- empt I would bid three hearts and hope to
4, ♣ Q-4-2. I know it adds to six points, but get to three no-trump or four hearts. It is the
with no aces or kings, I just hated the hand absence of aces that worries me though,
and thought we might get out of control if I and this does argue for restraint.
bid. What logic should I apply to these
positions?
Dear Mr. Wolff:
— Star-Gazer, Elkhart. Ind.
Where do you recommend getting new or
used bridge books from? And are there any
ANSWER: When you hold an unbid major, new authors I should be keeping an eye out
the motivation for responding (in case you for?
have game in that strain) is stronger. Here, if — Bibliophile, Wausau, Wis.
partner rebid spades or introduced a red
suit. you would not be unhappy that you
responded one no-trump. Even if partner
bids clubs, you may have improved your ANSWER: It is hard to look beyond Kantar,
side's trump suit. And for sure, if your no- Kelsey, Lawrence and Reese as the big four.
trump bid is not forcing, I would act now — if Kantar for humor, Kelsey for technical ideas,
only to stop the opponents from coming in. Lawrence for completeness, and Reese for
style. Frank Stewart is always informative
and entertaining too. For new books try
Baron Barclay; for used books maybe
Dear Mr. Wolff: Amazon is best.
Has putting your column on the Internet
worked out well for you?
Dear Mr. Wolff:
— Net Result, Huntington, W. Va.
In fourth chair one of our opponents held this
hand: ♠ J-10-2, ♥ Q-4, ♦ A-J-10-9-4, ♣ K-9-4.
ANSWER: Just to remind everyone, you can I opened one spade, passed back to him. He
find back issues of the column at responded one no-trump and assured his
bridgeblogging.com, where I've enjoyed partner after they had played the no-trump
talking directly to my readers. And the fact game down 500 that his call was correct.
that occasional points of analysis do come to Personally, I thought that his hand was too
my attention is reassuring, in that it indicates weak and that two diamonds was a more
that the rest of the time I'm not too far off the obvious call. What do you think?
mark. I'd say making the column available — Trouble Town, Augusta, Ga.
has been a nearly unqualified success.
ANSWER: The range for a balancing no-

Dear Mr. Wolff: trump is quite wide — say 11-15. So this
My partner had a problem when I opened hand qualifies in high cards, but I suspect
three clubs, and he was clutching: ♠ K-10-4, that with no clear spade stop I might have
♥ A-Q-9-4-3, ♦ K-Q-9-3, ♣ K. Does the gone the coward's route and bid two
vulnerability (we were not, they were) affect diamonds. Certainly, though, the player's
the decision to bid? For the record, three choice was not unreasonable — so long as
clubs was our last making contract! his partner was on the same wavelength
about the balancing no-trump having a wider
— Missed the Boat, Waterbury, Conn. range than in direct seat.
The Aces on Bridge: Monday, April 2nd, 2012
“Hope is a good breakfast but it is a bad supper.”

— Sir Francis Bacon
Dealer: South North

Playing your delicate spade grand slam, you receive the Vul: East- ♠ Q J 10 4
lead of the heart king to the ace. Before playing to the West ♥743
♦A
second trick, you need to identify your 13 tricks. The most ♣AKQ87
likely approach seems to be to set up clubs or to play a West East
♠2 ♠985
crossruff. For the latter you need to take five side-winners
♥KQJ865 ♥ 10
and eight trump tricks. In turn, this requires you not to ♦KJ97 ♦Q852
draw all the trump; but can you draw any rounds of ♣32 ♣ J 10 9 5 4
South
trump? That is the question. ♠AK763
♥A92
Given the weakness of your trump spots in hand, the ♦ 10 6 4 3
♣6
contract appears to depend on the clubs breaking 4-3 or
else you may suffer an overruff. However, there is a slight South West North East
extra chance which will cost you nothing to take. Before 1♠ 2♥ 3♥ Pass
going after clubs, take precisely one round of trump. Cash 4♠ Pass 5♣ Pass
5♥ Pass 5 NT Pass
the spade queen, then play all three top clubs, throwing 7♠ All pass
hearts from hand.
Opening Lead: ♥K
When West shows out but cannot ruff, declarer can
crossruff with impunity. If clubs had been 4-3, then declarer would cash the diamond ace
and lead a heart. If East discards, declarer ruffs low, ruffs a diamond low, and leads
another heart. If East again discards, declarer ruffs and makes the rest on a high
crossruff. If East ruffs in when clubs were originally 4-3, then declarer overruffs, draws the
last trump with dummy’s jack. Then he ruffs a club, and claims, since dummy’s remaining
club is high.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You might get strong opinions on
South Holds: this one. Some will tell you "Always lead a
♠ 10 9 7 major"; others will tell you "Never lead from
♥A762 ace-fourth." My view is that against blind no-
♦Q654 trump auctions you want to avoid leading
♣A5 from a four-carder headed by one honor if
anything else looks attractive. Here, the
South West North East spade-10 lead from the top of your
1 NT sequence does look better — at least to me.
All pass
The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012
“Do not men die fast enough without being destroyed by one another?”
— Francois de Salignac
Dealer: South North

Not rushing in with a high card was the key to the defense Vul: Neither ♠ 2
in this hand from the 2002 McConnell Cup Women's ♥942
♦ Q 10 6 3 2
teams, where England won the match by knocking out ♣KQ64
Austria. West East
♠K ♠ A 10 8 6 5 3
♥AKQJ765 ♥8
A couple of points to note in the bidding: After South had
♦J95 ♦AK74
shown a two-suiter with her opening bid, the response of ♣ 10 2 ♣93
four no-trump asked for the minor. East’s first double South
♠QJ974
suggested defending, and her second was purely for ♥ 10 3
penalties. ♦8
♣AJ875
Against five clubs doubled Nicola Smith cashed her top
two hearts, then accurately switched to a trump. Declarer 2♠* 4♥ 4 NT Dbl.
won in dummy, then played the spade two, on which East, 5♣ Pass Pass Dbl.
Heather Dhondy, accurately followed low. Dhondy had All pass
appreciated that there was no rush to take her spade ace, *Spades and a minor
for even if South had held the king, there were not enough
Opening Lead: ♥K
trumps in dummy to cope with the rest of the suit.
South’s queen lost to West’s king and back came a second trump, won by South with the
jack. A spade ruff was followed by a low diamond. Again East declined to rise with a top
honor, and the eight in the closed hand lost to Smith’s nine. Had East risen in diamonds,
she would have had a difficult continuation, and declarer might have ended just two down.
As it was, the heart queen return was ruffed in hand, and another spade was ruffed in
dummy, but now declarer had to concede two further spades for four down — plus 800 to
England.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: A simple jump to four spades
South Holds: looks obvious, but you might well do better
♠QJ974 to prepare partner for the possible five-level
♥ 10 3 action in a red suit from your opponents. I
♦8 play a jump to four clubs not as a splinter,
♣AJ875 but a fit-jump, the values for a four-spade
call and a good source of tricks in clubs.
South West North East This way you can bid four spades later and
1♥ 1♠ Dbl. help partner make the final decision at the
?
five-level.
The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, April 4th, 2012
“It is a curious thought, but it is only when you see people looking ridiculous that you
realize just how much you love them.”
— Agatha Christie
Dealer: South North

In today's deal from the Dyspeptics Club, South, finding Vul: East- ♠A3
himself in his accustomed position as declarer, received a West ♥ Q 10 4
♦KQ9862
club lead against three no-trump. ♣96
West East
He won the first club and tested diamonds, uttering a ♠KQ7 ♠984
snort of disgust when the suit failed to break. At this point ♥J7 ♥9865
♦ J 10 4 3 ♦7
he gave himself the best chance he could when he ♣KJ42 ♣ Q 10 8 5 3
cashed his last diamond winner — East carefully South
♠ J 10 6 5 2
discarding spades on both top diamonds — then played ♥AK32
hearts from the top. The blockage in the suit meant that ♦A5
♣A7
he could cash only three tricks there, and the defenders
had enough communications to take five winners South West North East
whatever declarer did next. 1♠ Pass 2♦ Pass
2♥ Pass 3♦ Pass
As usual, North was dismissive of his partner’s efforts. 3 NT All pass
Can you see why?
Opening Lead: ♣2
It is tempting to be overconfident and expect to take lots
of tricks when diamonds come in. But even if diamonds break badly, you may be able to
make four heart tricks and your contract; however, you need to test that suit first in case
someone has a doubleton jack. As you can see from the lie of the cards today, you have
four heart tricks, but you need to retain an entry to the South hand to score the last of
them.
Cash the heart ace and queen at once, and when the jack drops doubleton, you unblock
the heart 10 and have the entry in the form of the diamond ace to untangle your winners
and take your nine tricks.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: In an auction of this sort, where
South Holds: your partner has used fourth-suit as an
♠ J 10 6 5 2 exploratory move to determine more about
♥AK32 your hand, supporting partner economically
♦A5 with honor-doubleton and a decent hand is
♣A7 normally a good idea. This leaves space for
your partner to decide where he wants to go
South West North East next. So a call of three diamonds looks right.
1♠ Pass 2♦ Pass
2♥ Pass 3♣ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, April 5th, 2012
“Rules and models destroy genius and art.”

— William Hazlitt
Dealer: South North

Today's deal comes from a correspondent who remarked Vul: Neither ♠ 7 5 3
that the adverse result was fortunately just too small to ♥Q7
♦AKQ5
have cost her side a victory in a knockout match. But the ♣AJ82
lesson of the deal is interesting, even if the play was not West East
♠KJ6 ♠2
found at the table.
♥AK9 ♥ 10 6 2
♦J876 ♦ 10 9 4 3
In one room South opened with a weak two spades. West ♣KQ6 ♣ 10 7 5 4 3
overcalled with two no-trump and North doubled. East South
♠ A Q 10 9 8 4
removed to three clubs, but that was no real improvement, ♥J8543
and eventually went down 500. ♦2
♣9
South for my correspondent’s team decided to pass, and
the auction developed as shown. When four spades was Pass 1♣* Pass 1♦**
passed around to West, he thought for a considerable 3♠ Pass 4♠ All pass
time before making his final pass. *Strong
**Weak
West led the heart ace and king, then switched to a club.
Declarer lost two spade tricks to go with the top hearts, Opening Lead: ♥K
but he could (and probably should) have succeeded. After
winning the club ace, he ruffs a club, ruffs a heart, ruffs another club, then plays off his top
diamonds and ruffs a diamond. All he has left in hand are the spade A-Q-10. He exits with
the spade queen and sits back and waits to make his ace and 10.
Incidentally, can you see where West went wrong? He should have continued with a third
heart at trick three. By doing so, he removes a dummy entry, thus preventing the trump
reduction.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: This sequence (while not entirely
South Holds: unambiguous) is traditionally played as
♠2 takeout, not penalty. So you should simply
♥ 10 6 2 bid three clubs and await further
♦ 10 9 4 3 developments, hoping that your partner does
♣ 10 7 5 4 3 not hang you too high at his next turn.

1♠ 2♦
Pass 2♥ Dbl. Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Friday, April 6th, 2012
“I have loved your kiddies playing run-sheep-run

And cutting their initials on the ball-ground fence.
They knew every time I fooled them who was fooled and how.”
— Carl Sandburg
Dealer: East North

These days a lot of the swings in high-level bridge come Vul: Neither ♠AQ974
about when you make things difficult for your opponents. ♥AK96
♦J54
♣6
In today’s deal, for example, from the European West East
championships, at many tables East contented himself ♠ 10 8 2
♠6
♥84
with a three-club opening, but that did not cause any ♥ Q 10 7 3 2
♦ 10
problems. Either West raised to four clubs and North ♦K86
♣ A K J 10 4 3
♣Q985
made a value-showing double which South removed to 2
South
four spades, or West passed and North bid three spades, ♠KJ53
which also led to the normal spade game. Where West bid ♥J5
♦AQ9732
five clubs, some North-Souths settled for collecting 300 ♣7
and a small loss.
But here West led his singleton spade against five 3 NT*
diamonds. Declarer could see that if West had started with Pass 5♣ Dbl. Pass
5♦ All pass
three diamonds, then when he got in with the diamond
*Minor-suit pre-empt
king, he would be able to put his partner in with a club to
get a spade ruff, thus defeating the game. Opening Lead: ♠6
Can you spot his extra chance? Declarer won the spade ace, played a diamond to his
ace, and now played the heart ace and king. He continued with the heart nine, discarding
his club from hand. West had won an unexpected trick, but he could no longer put his
partner on lead to deliver the ruff.
When the teams compared scores at the end of the match, the Finnish pair was pleased
to discover that their declarer at the other table had found exactly the same line of play in
the same contract. No swing!
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Despite your length in the
South Holds: opponents' suit, you have a good hand
♠KJ53 offensively, and your extra diamond length
♥J5 means your hand is not really a minimum in
♦AQ9732 playing strength. You should thus simply
♣7 compete to two diamonds, rather than
passing (which would suggest a balanced
South West North East hand).
1♦ Pass 1♥ 1♠
?
The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, April 7th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on April 21st, 2012
“He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerve and sharpens our skill. Our antagonist is
our helper.”
— Edmund Burke
Dealer: South North

In today's six clubs South shook his head reflectively as Vul: East- ♠75
dummy came down, thinking that he should have been in West ♥KQ92
♦A765
the grand slam. A few seconds later he was shaken back ♣KQ2
into wakefulness when he cashed the club king and West East
♠94 ♠ J 10 6 3 2
realized he had an inevitable trump loser.
♥865 ♥ J 10 7 4 3
♦ 10 9 2 ♦KJ3
After winning the opening lead with his diamond ace, he ♣ 10 8 7 4 3 ♣—
cashed the heart ace and played a club to the king. The South
♠AKQ8
heart king and queen followed, allowing declarer to throw ♥A
both his losing diamonds away. After the spade ace and ♦Q84
♣AJ965
king both stood up, South advanced the spade eight.
West did the best he could when he discarded a diamond, 1♣ Pass 1♥ Pass
and declarer ruffed low in dummy. Now came the club 2♠ Pass 2 NT Pass
queen, and after nine tricks (three spades, three hearts 3 NT Pass 6♣ All pass
one diamond and two clubs) a four-card ending had been
Opening Lead: ♦10
reached, with the lead in dummy. North had four losing
red cards, declarer the A-J-9 of clubs and the spade queen. West had three clubs to the
10 and a diamond.
Now declarer led a heart from dummy and ruffed high. To avoid being endplayed in
trumps at the next trick West under-ruffed, a defense that would have been good enough
had East held the master spade. (South would have led a spade to East, and West would
have scored his club 10.) But when declarer led his spade queen, West could score only
one of the last three tricks whatever he did.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: The simple route here is to bid
South Holds: Stayman, planning to bid two hearts over a
♠ J 10 6 3 2 response of two diamonds. This would be
♥ J 10 7 4 3 the equivalent of Crawling Stayman over a
♦KJ3 no-trump opening bid to suggest a weak
♣— hand with both majors. If partner shows a
major, I'd guess to jump to game.
1♦ 1 NT Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, April 8th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on April 22nd, 2012
ANSWER: Brent Manley has produced what

in my opinion is a masterwork. He has
Dear Mr. Wolff: reorganized the contents of the book into
My bridge reputation rides on the following sections that are far easier to follow, and has
hand. Holding ♠ 10-9-8-6-5-4-2, ♥ A-K-9, updated the book so that it covers modern
♦ Q, ♣ A-K, I opened one spade; my partner bidding and play conventions for everyone,
responded two diamonds. Opinions of what I no matter what their level.
should have rebid vary widely, but I chose
three spades as the only way to get the
length and strength across. Dear Mr. Wolff:
— Foxy Lady, Winston-Salem, N.C. At our local duplicate club most tables were
confronted with a diamond pre-empt by East.
At unfavorable vulnerability South had ♠ A-J-
ANSWER: If two diamonds did not 10-9-4, ♦ K-9-6-2, ♦ Q-4, ♣ Q-4. Is correct to
guarantee a second call, I don't disagree act over a three- or four-diamond pre-empt
with your choice — not because I LIKE the here?
three-spade bid (I don't), but because — Fair Catch, Woodlands Hills, Calif.
nothing else is better! If two diamonds
guaranteed a second bid (either because
you play two-over-one game-forcing or you
play responder's suit rebid is invitational but ANSWER: This is indeed a difficult hand. I
everything else is game-forcing), then three think I would double a one- or two-level
spades is wrong, as it shows at most a one- opening bid in diamonds, but my soft values,
loser suit. Simply rebid two spades. especially the doubleton trump queen, argue
for restraint. Put it this way: With the
doubleton king of diamonds I would double
either a three-diamond or four-diamond
Dear Mr. Wolff: opening. But I'd treat your hand as a
My partner held ♠ J-9-5-4-2, ♥ A-9-4, ♦ K-4, minimum and pass now.
♣ Q-4-3 and responded one spade to one
club. I raised to two spades and he passed,
missing a decent game that needed one of Dear Mr. Wolff:
two finesses. What determines whether to
bid on or not? What is the largest penalty you've ever seen
recorded in a serious event?
— Undercooked, Casper, Wyo.
— Record Keeper, Detroit, Mich.
ANSWER: When you find a spade fit, your

hand gets much better. The fifth trump really ANSWER: Funny you should ask! When I
improves the hand, maybe just enough to went to Veldhoven this fall, a pair of ladies
make a game-try of three clubs. It's certainly (who went on to win a medal!) had an
close, but paradoxically your bad spades auction where one player tried to transfer
makes your hand improve even more when into spades no less than six times. Obviously
you find a fit. there was a partnership misunderstanding,
since the final contract was four hearts
redoubled on a 3-1 fit. It went down 3400.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
A new edition of the Encyclopedia of Bridge
has just been published. I own an older
edition. What would justify my buying the
latest one?
— Bookworm, Jackson, Tenn.
The Aces on Bridge: Monday, April 9th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on April 23rd, 2012
“No lesson seems to be so deeply inculcated by the experience of life as that you never
should trust experts.”
— Lord Salisbury
Dealer: West North

How good a contract is six spades here? You may be Vul: Both ♠ A 10 8 5
surprised to know that although the contract looks good, ♥63
♦A82
best play will result in only a 90 percent chance. ♣AJ82
West East
The instinctive line, however, will fail today. Imagine that ♠6 ♠J9
you win the opening heart lead, draw trump, and play the ♥ K Q J 10 9 4 2 ♥875
♦Q63 ♦ 10 7 5 4
club king and a club to the jack. East wins to return a club, ♣73 ♣ Q 10 9 6
and unless you follow an inspired line in the diamond suit, South
♠KQ7432
you will lose a trick to the diamond queen. ♥A
♦KJ9
But you can do much better after the lead of the heart king ♣K54
to the ace. Take the spade ace and king, ruff dummy’s
losing heart, then cash the club king and lead a low club, 3♥ Dbl. Pass
intending to cover West’s card. As the cards lie, when 5 NT* Pass 6♣ Pass
East takes the club eight with the nine, he can do no 6♠ All pass
better than lead a low diamond. When the diamond nine *Pick-a-slam
forces the queen, declarer claims the rest.
Opening Lead: ♥K
In this variation, had the diamond nine been covered by
the 10, declarer would cash his remaining trumps and discard a diamond from dummy.
Then a club to the ace would reveal how that suit lay. If the clubs were 3-3, declarer could
claim. If West had four clubs, then the diamond finesse would be a certainty as West
could have no more than a singleton diamond. And if East had four clubs and had kept
them all he would be down to one diamond, so it would be correct to play a diamond to
the king.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: The spades do not offer much
South Holds: hope, given your weak intermediates and
♠Q8533 the fact that your RHO has four of them. So
♥6 the choice is an obedient heart or an
♦82 undisciplined club. I'm prepared to risk my
♣KJ832 partner's wrath by leading a club in the hope
that I can find partner at home there. You
South West North East only live once!
1♦ 1♥ Dbl.
Pass 3♦ Pass 3 NT
All pass
The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, April 10th, 2012
“Even a sheet of paper has two sides.”

— Japanese saying
Dealer: South North

You never know when squirreling papers away will come Vul: East- ♠ A Q 10 9 7 2
in handy. In cleaning out my files, I came across a hand West ♥A4
♦54
I'd cut out from a U.S. Daily Bulletin from the 1970s. ♣872
Declarer was Robert Lebi of Canada, who has been a West East
♠J54 ♠K863
regular player on Canadian squads over the last 30 years.
♥J932 ♥K
♦ Q 10 8 ♦732
The lead against four hearts was the club jack to East’s ♣ J 10 5 ♣AK963
king. Next the club ace was cashed, and East now erred South
♠—
by playing a third club, allowing declarer to shorten his ♥ Q 10 8 7 6 5
hand. Lebi earned a game swing for his team in this ♦AKJ96
♣Q4
Spingold match by ruffing, playing a heart to the ace, and,
believing his opponent’s king to be a true card, played for South West North East
a trump reduction. He took the spade ace, then ruffed a 1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass
spade. Now came the diamond ace and king, a diamond 2♦ Pass 3♠ Pass
4♦ Pass 4♥ All pass
ruff, and a spade ruff. Declarer was down to the Q-10 of
hearts and a master diamond while West held J-9-3 of Opening Lead: ♣J
hearts. The diamond jack completed the coup. West had
to ruff and lead into the trump tenace to concede the contract.
The Levi team won their knockout match by less than the swing on this deal, when the
other declarer did not ruff a spade when in dummy with the heart ace!
Note that if East shifts to the heart king or a diamond, declarer cannot get home. While the
heart play could be expensive, a diamond will almost never cost, and as we have seen, it
can gain by preventing declarer from shortening himself for the trump coup.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: A simple call of two clubs is
South Holds: reasonable, as is a double. This would not
♠K863 be for penalties, but show the fourth suit,
♥K clubs, and tolerance for partner's suit,
♦732 together with decent values. Your trump
♣AK963 support may be on the feeble side, but your
opening values probably compensate for
South West North East that.
1♦ 1♥ 1♠
?
“Doubts are more cruel than the worst of truths.”

— Moliere
Dealer: South North

Today's problem is a defensive one, so put yourself in the Vul: North- ♠KQ965
West seat. South is declarer in six no-trump after opening South ♥AJ2
♦A3
one no-trump. North showed five spades, then offered a ♣K64
choice of small slams with his jump to five no-trump, West East
♠A43 ♠ 10 8 7
rejecting South's suggestion of diamonds as a place to
♥85 ♥ 10 9 7 4 3
play. ♦J985 ♦ 10 7
♣ Q J 10 8 ♣953
You, West, lead the club queen, which declarer wins in South
♠J2
dummy and plays a spade to his jack. Plan the defense. ♥KQ6
♦KQ642
You know that partner has no points at all. If you win the ♣A72
spade ace, you can be sure that declarer will be able to
test spades with impunity before examining his other 1 NT Pass 2♥ Pass
chances. Since the spades do split, declarer will surely 2♠ Pass 5 NT Pass
come to 12 tricks. However, just because YOU know 6♦ Pass 6 NT All pass
spades split, does not mean declarer can be as confident
Opening Lead: ♣Q
of this!
If you refuse to win your spade ace on this round and the next (perhaps even throwing in
an echo with your small cards just to try to persuade declarer that things are not going his
way), South will not know that spades are breaking. He may decide to test diamonds first.
When they fail to break, he will go back to spades (hoping that the spades break and that
whoever has the ace was originally short in diamonds), but now you will be able to win
your ace and cash a diamond trick for down one.
Ducking the spade is not sure to defeat the hand; winning it is sure to let the slam come
home.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: There are two attractive choices
South Holds: here. You might jump to three no-trump,
♠J2 suggesting a balanced hand with a good
♥KQ6 heart stop. Or you can bid two diamonds,
♦KQ642 natural and forcing, planning to bid no-trump
♣A72 later. I strongly prefer the second choice,
since we might find out about an absence of
South West North East spade stops for no-trump, or we might get to
1♣ 1♥ a club or diamond slam.
?
“I can stand a waste of praise.”

— R.S. Surtees
Dealer: South North

Today's deal was reported earlier this year in Le Bridgeur, Vul: East- ♠AJ2
Philippe Cronier's French language summary of the West ♥ J 10 7 4
♦Q5
tournament world. The deal was played by Sylvie Willard, ♣A653
who, along with Benedicte Cronier, has played on all the West East
♠Q74 ♠ K 10 8
successful French teams of the last six years.
♥Q963 ♥852
♦AJ974 ♦ 10 8 3
Their partnership is unusual for its longevity and also — ♣7 ♣Q984
I’m sure not coincidentally — for the fact that both players South
♠9653
are universally popular with their teammates and ♥AK
opponents. They are viewed as genuinely nice people and ♦K62
♣ K J 10 2
excellent players.
Sylvie demonstrated here that she could outplay her 1♣ Pass 1♥ Pass
competitors; very few brought home this game by correct 1 NT Pass 3 NT All pass
technique. She received a diamond lead against three no-
trump and realized that her best chance to succeed was Opening Lead: ♦7
to take three heart tricks and four clubs.
In abstract the correct play is to hope East has the club queen (since you cannot negotiate
four clubs to the queen with West) and you would start by playing the club ace to guard
against a singleton club queen offside. But because of the awkward position with entries
to dummy, Willard correctly led a club to the 10 successfully, unblocked the heart honors,
then crossed to the club ace and advanced the heart jack. All was well when West won
the trick. He could not attack diamonds, so had to play back a spade. Willard took the ace,
cashed her heart winner, then finessed in clubs and conceded the rest.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You must distinguish what you
South Holds: should do when your RHO passes over one
♠AJ2 heart and what you should do if he
♥ J 10 7 4 competes further. You can raise to two
♦Q5 hearts in competition — that shows very little
♣A653 extra beyond four trumps. However, if you
raise freely when East passes, that would be
South West North East an ace more than a minimum, with real
1♦ game interest facing a seven-count, say. So
Dbl. Pass 1♥ Pass
you should pass now.
?
“I can find nothing lowly

in the universe.”
— A.R. Ammons
Dealer: South North

The true expert pays proper attention to the spot cards, Vul: Neither ♠ 6 2
even when there is no obvious reason to preserve them. ♥753
♦ Q 10 8 3
The idea that you will need to optimize communications ♣AKQ6
and entries is an obvious one, but is often overlooked. West East
♠KQJ94 ♠ 10 8 5 3
Today's deal offers an example.
♥64 ♥K982
♦75 ♦A94
West leads the spade king against three no-trump. You ♣ 10 5 4 2 ♣J9
win the second round of spades and see that you will South
♠A7
need four hearts and four clubs to land the contract. How ♥ A Q J 10
would you tackle the play? ♦KJ62
♣873
When the cards lie as in the diagram, only one play is
good enough. You must lead the club eight to dummy’s 1 NT Pass 3 NT All pass
ace. The nine falls from East, and you take a successful
heart finesse. You continue with the club seven to Opening Lead: ♠K
dummy’s king, noting with interest that East follows with
the jack. How do you think the clubs lie after this fall of the cards?
East will produce two middle cards on the first two rounds when he holds J-10-9, J-10, J-9
or 10-9. So, the odds are approximately 3-1 in favor of East’s holding only two clubs. What
is more, you are prepared for a finesse against West’s 10 after your thoughtful unblock of
the eight and seven!
You take your second heart finesse and lead the club three to dummy’s six. You then play
the club queen and finesse a third time in hearts. Contract made!
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: In standard American, you'd bid
South Holds: four no-trump to invite slam with no four-card
♠62 major. For an extra wrinkle, if you play Texas
♥753 transfers (four diamonds and four hearts
♦ Q 10 8 3 show six-card heart and spade suits), a four-
♣AKQ6 spade call can be used to show a balanced
invitation with both four-card minors — in
South West North East other words, exactly this hand. So a direct
2 NT Pass four-no-trump response will suggest a very
?
flat hand.
“While clearness is a virtue of style, perfect explicitness is not a necessary virtue.”

— Arthur Symons
Dealer: North North

In action here against France in the McConnell Cup at the Vul: Both ♠QJ8754
2002 World Championships is the Netherlands Women's ♥K53
♦A
team, that only two months previously had won the ♣K74
European Championships. West East
♠K3 ♠A62
♥ Q 10 9 ♥J84
Against three no-trump West, Marijke van der Pas, led the
♦KJ97 ♦ 10 8 3 2
club nine, which promised the 10, but no higher honor. ♣ 10 9 8 3 ♣J62
Declarer won in hand and played the spade 10, which South
♠ 10 9
was allowed to hold. Van der Pas won the spade ♥A762
continuation with the king and switched to the diamond ♦Q654
♣AQ5
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. South West North East
In their methods, a lead of a low card promised a good 1♠ Pass
suit, and that diamond seven was not particularly low, 2♦ Pass 2♠ Pass
3 NT All pass
albeit the lowest she had available. So it was certainly
possible that East would do the wrong thing unless helped Opening Lead: ♣9
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

ANSWER: Facing a one-level overcall with a
South Holds: 12-count, you can't be sure your side even
♠ 10 9 has the majority of high points. A jump to
♥A762 two no-trump would suggest a somewhat
♦Q654 better hand. (With the spade jack in addition,
♣AQ5 you might risk the call.) If you bid one no-
trump, you'd be showing about 8-12, and
South West North East with any luck you would hear your partner
1♥ 1♠ Pass bid on if he had extra shape or high-cards.
?
ANSWER: You are right that a jump to four

spades DENIES an ace. Even with a
Dear Mr. Wolff: minimum hand, such as this one, you had
Recently I opened one club and my LHO bette do something else. Here, a jump to
overcalled two spades, which was passed four clubs would show a singleton club and a
out, going down two or three tricks. My spade raise, but perhaps a slightly better
partner said that because we were playing hand than this. (For sure, that would be fine
negative doubles, I was forced to bid. Since I with the heart queen in addition.)
had a minimum opener and flat distribution
(two spades, three hearts and four cards in
each minor), I could envision many hands Dear Mr. Wolff:
where forcing partner to bid at the three-level
would be disastrous. Any comments? When might you play a genuine line as
opposed to playing for a defensive error?
— Sellout, Dodge City, Kan.
— Larkspur, Panama City, Fla.
ANSWER: You are NOT forced to reopen,

but typically will do so even if minimum IF ANSWER: I hate to give up on a genuine
you have shortage in their suit. So with two line by playing for nothing but a slip on
small spades I might reopen here, but with defense. However, if I can see a line of play
the doubleton spade king I'd expect partner that I might fall for myself were I in the
not to have the penalty double, so might let defender's shoes, I'd give it a whirl. Quite
two spades go. Then again, I might still bid often a pressure line (making someone
with anything approaching extra values. decide whether to take an honor or duck it)
Color me hyperaggressive. has far better chances than the percentages
associated with the play.
Dear Mr. Wolff:

Dear Mr. Wolff:
We had a recent key-card auction with
hearts as the agreed suit and could not My partner held ♠ J-10-9-4, ♥ K-Q-8-3, ♦ Q-
locate the trump queen accurately. Can you 4, ♣ Q-J-4 and heard me open two no-trump.
recommend a pattern of responses after the He used Stayman and got a three-spade
queen ask? Should any bid other than a bid response. Now he found what I thought was
of the agreed suit promise the queen? quite an intelligent bid when he jumped to
five spades. I thought I should bid slam since
— Queen for a Day, Atlanta, Ga. I had four spades to the ace-king, but the
finesse lost and we also had an ace to lose.
Was there a better route?
ANSWER: After the response of the first or — Inspector Gadget, Worcester, Mass.
second step (whichever way you play these)
here are the simplest set of responses
possible to the step one relay for the queen
– though remember that five of the trump ANSWER: One sensible agreement to have
suit by the inquirer implies too many in this sequence is that a bid of four hearts
keycards are missing. In response, the over three spades shows the values for a
lowest level of the trump suit says 'No trump slam-try in spades with four trump. Even this
queen'. If you have it, but no king, bid six of action is not an underbid, given the lack of
the trump suit but if you have the trump trump honors and controls. However, this will
queen and additional kings, cue-bid the let opener decide whether he is slam-
cheapest king you have. suitable, in which case he can ask for aces
and find out the right level to play at, or sign
off in four spades.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
I play rubber bridge with a group and after a
strong two spade opening, responder
answered four spades with this hand: ♠ J-10-
4-2, ♥ 9-4-3-2, ♦ A-7-5-4, ♣ 4. I thought her
hand was strong hand opposite a strong
two-bid and thought she should bid three
spades. She contended it was the right bid
because it only made 11 tricks.
— Monday-Morning Quarterback, Fremont,
Calif.
“Let us be moral. Let us contemplate existence.”

— Charles Dickens
Dealer: South North

How do you plan to make four hearts after West leads the Vul: Both ♠A62
spade king? ♥Q632
♦963
♣ Q 10 4
The nub of this problem is that you want to avoid losing West East
three diamond tricks, but surely West is the favorite to ♠ K Q J 10 7 4 ♠98
♥7 ♥ 10 5 4
have the diamond ace.
♦AQ2 ♦ J 10 7 4
♣987 ♣6532
Your first step is to duck the first round of spades, then South
win the spade ace, and draw trump in three rounds. Next ♠53
♥AKJ98
you cash the club ace, king and queen. ♦K85
♣AKJ
Now lead dummy’s remaining spade and discard a low
diamond, forcing West to win the trick. A diamond return South West North East
1♥ 1♠ 2♥ Pass
gives you a trick with the diamond king, while a spade exit
4♥ All pass
lets you ruff in dummy and discard a second diamond
from hand. Thus you will lose only two spades and a Opening Lead: ♠K
diamond, making the contract.
And what would happen if East had followed to the third spade? If he had followed small,
you would still discard a diamond from hand to force West to win the trick. If East was
clearly going to win the trick (say West had a 5-2-3-3 pattern), you ruff the spade and exit
with a low diamond from hand. For the defense to stand a chance, East must win the trick
and play a third diamond. Now you put up the king, succeeding whenever the diamond
finesse succeeds or West wins the ace but has no diamonds left.
Notice that if you hadn’t ducked the first trick, East could have gained the lead in spades,
whereupon the obvious diamond shift would scuttle the contract.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: The opening lead here is more
South Holds: about temperament than anything else.
♠Q53 Some prefer to go passive and not give up a
♥742 trick; others go for instant gratification by
♦K953 leading a diamond in the hope of cashing
♣AJ4 out or setting up that suit. Put my vote in
with the diamond leaders; but don't ask me
South West North East to justify it.
1♣ Pass 1♠
Pass 2♠ Pass 4♠
All pass
by Bobby Wolff on May 1st, 2012
“The outcome of any serious research can only be to make two questions grow where
only one grew before.”
— Thorstein Veblen
Dealer: South North

In today's deal from a charity game in honor of Arthur Vul: East- ♠QJ
Loeb to benefit the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, how West ♥ A 10 6 5 4
♦AQ42
do you find out scientifically whether you want to be in ♣K4
slam? West East
♠852 ♠ 10 9 4 3
Once hearts are set as trump, North can ask for key-cards ♥7 ♥Q82
♦ J 10 9 5 3 ♦8
(the four aces and the trump queen). If the response is ♣ A 10 8 6 ♣Q9752
zero or three, or one or four, the cheapest step asks for South
♠AK76
the trump queen; the response in the trump suit denies it, ♥KJ93
and a bid in any other suit promises it. If the responder ♦K76
♣J3
has two key cards, the immediate response either shows
or denies the trump queen. South West North East
1 NT Pass 2♦ Pass
Today, however, slam has two chances, the first being to 3♥ Pass 4 NT Pass
find the trump queen, the second to discard North’s clubs 5♥ Pass 6♥ All pass
on declarer’s spades. On a non-spade lead such as the
Opening Lead: ♣A
diamond jack, you should cash the heart ace and unblock
both spade honors. Only then do you lead a heart to the king, trying to cash South’s
spade winners to pitch dummy’s clubs.
However, at a few tables where keycard Blackwood was not in use, West led the club ace
against six hearts, and now the diamond jack shift went to the ace, eight and six.
How to play the trump suit now? After the ace and a small heart sees East follow twice,
the old adage is “Eight ever, nine never.” However, East’s play of the diamond eight was
surely significant, suggesting shortage. Since West appeared to have many more
diamonds than East, the heart finesse was the odds-on play, and declarer duly took it to
make his slam.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You may look at this 16-count
South Holds: and assume you have extra values. But in a
♠QJ sense, with your doubleton spade honors
♥ A 10 6 5 4 not pulling their full weight, you have really
♦AQ42 nothing to spare in high-cards, and certainly
♣K4 nothing extra in terms of shape. Pass two
hearts, and be happy to stay low.
1♥ Pass 1 NT Pass
2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass
?
by Bobby Wolff on May 2nd, 2012
“Conscience is the inner voice which warns us somebody may be looking.”

— H.L. Mencken
Dealer: South North

An avoidance play is declarer's attempt to deny one Vul: Both ♠63
opponent the lead. This could be because we fear a shift ♥ A Q 10
♦A7542
from one opponent but not the other, or equally, as in ♣542
today's deal, one opponent has winners to cash. West East
♠852 ♠KQJ94
♥76432 ♥85
Look at the play today in three no-trump, remembering
♦9 ♦ J 10 6 3
that your target is to take nine tricks, not 10! ♣ Q 10 8 3 ♣K6
South
West obediently leads a spade. As declarer, you must ♠ A 10 7
♥KJ9
duck the first two spades to cut the defenders’ ♦KQ8
communications. You win the third spade and should work ♣AJ97
out that you only need four diamond tricks for the contract,
but you must keep East off play if he has four diamonds. 1♣ Pass 1♦ 1♠
To do that, you do not mind investing an overtrick. 2 NT Pass 3 NT All pass
You cross to dummy by leading a low heart to the 10. Now Opening Lead: ♠2
comes a diamond toward your hand. If East plays low, you
insert the eight and have achieved your target of bringing in the diamond suit safely.
If East divines your intention and inserts the 10 on the first diamond, you take the trick in
hand and lead a heart to the queen. Then you repeat the process in diamonds, planning
again to lead low to your eight, finessing against East’s jack. This insures that you make
nine tricks, since if West has a second diamond, the suit must be splitting for you, and you
can overtake your remaining diamond honor with the ace and run the suit.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your choice is an invitational
South Holds: three diamonds – you have too much for a
♠63 simple two diamond call, or a call in no-
♥ A Q 10 trump. You have too much for a one no-
♦A7542 trump bid and not quite enough for a call of
♣542 two no-trump, though it is close. Since three
no-trump is more likely to make than five
South West North East diamonds perhaps the small overbid in no-
1♥ Dbl. Pass trump is best.
?
by Bobby Wolff on May 3rd, 2012
“And I am right,
And you are right,
And all is right as right can be!”
— W.S. Gilbert
Dealer: South North

In today's deal you could argue that West might have bid Vul: East- ♠Q872
four spades over four hearts, but West was not sure at West ♥A85
♦2
this vulnerability what the size of the penalty might be. As ♣J9862
it was, he passed, and North bid five hearts as a general West East
♠963 ♠AKJ54
try, focusing on spades more than anything else. South
♥— ♥973
looked at his quick tricks and accepted the invitation. In ♦987643 ♦ Q 10 5
this position one should pass with no control, and cue-bid ♣ K 10 5 4 ♣73
South
five spades with the ace and anything but a dead ♠ 10
minimum. You can use your discretion with a second- ♥ K Q J 10 6 4 2
♦AKJ
round control, typically bidding slam unless you are ♣AQ
otherwise unsuitable.
Against six hearts, when the spade three was led to the 2♣ Pass 2♦ 2♠
jack and 10, East insulted declarer by trying to cash the 4♥ Pass 5♥ Pass
6♥ All pass
spade ace, perhaps not seeing the downside of this move.
Opening Lead: ♠3
South was quick to put him right. He ruffed the second
spade high, and now it was an easy matter to cross to dummy with a trump and lead the
spade queen to pin the nine and establish the eight for a discard.
Of course if the spade nine had not fallen, declarer would have been reduced to taking the
club finesse for his contract, and today would not have been his lucky day.
Had the spade nine and eight been switched, declarer could have husbanded the entries
to dummy and have brought about this position for himself without any help from the
defenders after the opening lead.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You are by no means minimum
South Holds: for the auction and your singleton diamond
♠Q872 suggests that your partner will find four
♥A85 hearts easier than three no-trump. So up
♦2 and bid the heart game and don't hang back.
♣J9862 Your shape should help partner ruff out
diamonds or set up clubs for discards.
1♦ 1♥ 1♠
2♥ Pass 2 NT Pass
?
by Bobby Wolff on May 4th, 2012
“What quiverings in the distance of what light

May not have lured him with high promises,
And then gone down?”
Dealer: East North

When Poland defeated the U.S, squad in the Mindsports Vul: East- ♠AQ753
Olympiad four years ago, this was one of the bright spots West ♥K2
♦Q65
for America. ♣J87
West East
In one room Jeff Meckstroth played three no-trump after ♠K92 ♠ 10 6 4
♥AQ643 ♥875
opening one no-trump, hearing a transfer to spades, and
♦K72 ♦J98
then being offered a choice of games. ♣92 ♣ 10 6 5 3
South
Meckstroth put up dummy’s heart king on the low-heart ♠J8
♥ J 10 9
lead, played a club to hand and a spade to the queen, ♦ A 10 4 3
which held. He then cashed the clubs, noting the discard ♣AKQ4
of a spade and a diamond from West. Then came the
spade ace, the king dropping from West, who was next Pass
thrown in with a heart to be endplayed in diamonds. In the 1♣ 1♥ 1♠ Pass
two-card ending, Meckstroth put up the diamond queen 1 NT* Pass 3 NT All pass
when West led the suit and made his game. *15-17
In the closed room the auction went as shown, with Opening Lead: ♥4
West’s overcall having indicated at least five hearts.
The attack was a low heart, which declarer, Krzysztof Martens, won in hand and continued
with all four club tricks. Bob Hamman, appreciating what would happen in the endgame,
made the thoughtful discards of two low diamonds, baring his king. Martens continued
with the spade jack, covered by the king and ace. Next came the spade queen, and
Martens, like Meckstroth, exited with a heart, expecting that Hamman would then be
endplayed in diamonds. But after cashing his hearts, Hamman produced the spade nine:
one down.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: With a marginal hand over a pre-
South Holds: empt, you should tend to act with shortness
♠AQ753 and pass with length. While you would
♥K2 overcall one spade over one club, I'm not
♦Q65 sure I would bid two spades over a weak two
♣J87 diamonds, and for sure I feel I'm a spade or
a top honor short of bidding over a three-
South West North East club pre-empt in direct seat. I might balance
3♣ with this hand — but that's another story!
?
The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, April 21st, 2012
“All good things which exist are the fruits of originality.”

— John Stuart Mill
Dealer: North North

Today's declarer in six spades was entitled to claim he Vul: Both ♠K32
was unlucky. He ruffed the opening lead of a club and led ♥84
♦AKJ97
a high trump from hand. The 5-0 trump break made him ♣K76
open his eyes wide. He switched his attention to West East
♠— ♠J8764
diamonds, hoping three rounds might stand up if East had
♥KJ3 ♥ 10 9 5
the length. No luck there: East ruffed the third diamond ♦ 10 8 6 ♦42
and exited with a heart. Declarer still thought he might ♣ A Q J 10 8 5 4 ♣932
South
come close to making his contract if the heart finesse ♠ A Q 10 9 5
succeeded, but when it lost, he was struggling to escape ♥AQ762
♦Q53
for down one. ♣—
The swing on this deal was especially expensive since his South West North East
opponents had stayed out of slam in the other room. Can 1♦ Pass
you see what declarer might have done, even against the 1♠ 3♣ Pass Pass
3♥ Pass 4♠ Pass
foul trump break? 6♠ All pass
It is a lot easier to see when you are looking at all four Opening Lead: ♣A
hands, but if your objective is to take 12 tricks rather than
13, surely the only thing you have to worry about is a bad trump break. It then makes a lot
of sense to duck the first trick, discarding a heart from hand rather than ruffing in.
West does best to shift to a diamond, which you win in hand to lead a spade to the board.
Now when West discards, you lead a spade back to the 10, cross to a top diamond, and
play a spade to the nine. After drawing trump, you have 12 tricks: a club, a heart and five
winners in each of the other suits.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: When playing negative doubles,
South Holds: you typically reopen when short in the
♠K32 opponents' suit, hoping that partner can
♥84 make a penalty double — here, against
♦AKJ97 clubs. Given your club length, you know
♣K76 partner is weak, typically without diamond
support. Accordingly, you must pass and
South West North East hope the opponents are in the wrong spot.
1♦ 2♣ Pass Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, April 22nd, 2012
ANSWER: Many authorities say that given

how inefficiently people shuffle, the
Dear Mr. Wolff: MINIMUM acceptable number might be as
We're taught to decide whether an high as seven. Apparently eight perfect
unbalanced hand is worth a two-club shuffles return the cards to their original
opening if the hand is within a trick of game. state — but who can shuffle perfectly?
This suggests that a minor-suit hand should
be one trick stronger in playing strength than
a major-suit hand. Does this make sense? Dear Mr. Wolff:
Should we require a bit more with
unbalanced minor-suit hands? My partner opened one heart, and I was
third to speak with ♠ J-6-2, ♥ J-10-4, ♦ A-J-5,
— Wrong Number, Clarksburg, Ontario ♣ K-8-6-4. What are the merits of a making a
simple raise, as opposed to going directly to
three hearts or offering jump support via a
ANSWER: I do tend to open a minor on forcing no-trump?
some single-suited strong hands — but if — Eager Beaver, Nashville, Tenn.
you have no rebid over any of the expected
one-level responses, open two clubs and
hope to get by. Also, with 4-5 or 4-6 in
diamonds and a major, you can (by ANSWER: This is maximum for a raise to
agreement) open two clubs and then jump in two hearts, but I'd have no problem with the
your major to show this hand. If you have simple raise without the heart 10, where the
clubs and a major, responder has three scattered values and unsupported jacks
diamonds available as a second negative aren't really pulling their full weight. As it is, I
bid, so you don't need an artificial sequence. could live with the jump raise via the forcing
no-trump, but would still settle for the more
pessimistic route.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
My partner opened one no-trump in second Dear Mr. Wolff:
chair with ♠ Q-9-5, ♥ A-4, ♦ K-Q-8, ♣ K-J-5-3-
2. When the next hand overcalled two Recently you ran this unopposed auction:
hearts, I doubled. Should this be penalty or one spade – two diamonds – two hearts –
takeout? If it is a question of agreement, three clubs – four hearts. Since responder
what do you recommend? never supported either of opener's suits
during the bidding, how will opener know
— Human Error, Staten Island, N.Y. which suit would be trumps if responder
uses Blackwood?
— Name That Trump Suit, Lorain, Ohio
ANSWER: I suggest that for exactly the
same reason that you play negative doubles
when an opponent intervenes over a suit,
you also play takeout doubles from both ANSWER: Hearts (the last-bid suit) will be
sides when your one no-trump is overcalled. trump here. Curiously, it does seem hard for
The reason is simply that you will be short in responder to set spades as trump, but he
their suit far more often than you will have would have been able to set spades as
length. That said, a call of three clubs looks trump in a game-forcing manner (if playing
normal here. two-over-one) at his previous turn.
Dear Mr. Wolff:

I understand that the purpose of shuffling is
to achieve a new arrangement of the cards;
hence, a new game problem. One thorough
shuffle would do that. I would recommend no
less than two. Where do the experts stand?
— Lucky Larry, Novato, Calif.
The Aces on Bridge: Monday, April 23rd, 2012
“The sober comfort, all the peace which springs

From the large aggregate of little things.”
— Hannah More
Dealer: South North

After you have been knocked out of the main event, will a Vul: East- ♠KJ2
Swiss Teams offer any consolation? Maybe yes, if the West ♥62
♦ 10 9 7 5 4
right deal comes along. Put yourself in East's seat, ♣KJ5
defending against six spades, which was played in last West East
♠5 ♠6
year's Yeh Brothers Cup.
♥ K Q J 10 8 7 5 3 ♥94
♦3 ♦AKQ862
When dummy comes down on partner’s lead of the ♣987 ♣ Q 10 3 2
diamond three, it would be easy to relax after winning the South
♠ A Q 10 9 8 7 4 3
diamond ace and returning a low diamond. ♥A
♦J
Declarer ruffs high and starts to run six of his seven ♣A64
remaining trumps. Your partner, who began with hearts
solid from the king down, discards one at every turn, while 1♠ 4♥ 4♠ 5♥
dummy discards diamonds, as do you. 6♠ All pass
In the six-card ending, you have kept two hearts, a Opening Lead: ♦3
diamond and three clubs to match dummy. On the
penultimate trump, when dummy throws a club, what will you discard?
At the table Subhash Gupta’s opponent discarded a heart — and that was fatal. If you
pitch a heart you leave partner controlling the hearts, so dummy’s second heart becomes
a threat. Therefore when declarer cashes the heart ace and leads his last trump, West
must keep one heart and thus come down to two clubs. Dummy pitches its last heart and
you are squeezed between diamonds and clubs. If you had pitched a club earlier and kept
your heart guard, your partner could have kept his clubs and pitched his hearts, leaving
the suit to you. On the last trump, dummy must relinquish a guard in front of you, and you
come under no further pressure.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: There is a case that could be
South Holds: made for just about every lead. You could
♠6 choose either red ace, hoping to find partner
♥AJ843 with a singleton in that suit, or go somewhat
♦A943 more passive with either black-suit lead. Of
♣ Q 10 3 course, neither lead is exactly safe, so the
question is whether a trump lead can
South West North East accomplish anything except perhaps clear
1♦ up a guess… I'd say no and would opt for a
1♥ Dbl. Pass 2♠ club instead.
Pass 4♠ All pass
“A slip of the foot you may soon recover, but a slip of the tongue you may never get over.”
— Benjamin Franklin
Dealer: North North

In today's deal from last year's Yeh Brothers Cup, the Vul: Both ♠Q8
point was made that one should not pull a takeout double ♥AKQ8
♦87632
from fear alone. Particularly if both sides are vulnerable, ♣ J 10
the benefit of going plus may almost equal the cost of West East
♠A9542 ♠ K 10 6
letting a doubled partscore make. If a few doubled
♥ 10 9 2 ♥7643
contracts do not make, you probably are not doubling ♦ K Q 10 4 ♦A9
enough. ♣6 ♣K742
South
♠J73
That said, the pain when you double the opponents into ♥J5
game and don’t defend accurately may be the critical ♦J5
♣AQ9853
factor that suggests caution in this area. And the following
deal exhibits that theme nicely. South West North East
1 NT Pass
After Huub Bertens’ double of three clubs, Jack Zhao 2♠* Pass 2 NT Pass
judged well not to run to three hearts. At this vulnerability 3♣ Dbl. All pass
he must have figured that he had every chance of a *Clubs, weak or strong
decent penalty. Right he was … in a sense.
Opening Lead: ♦K
The defenders cashed two spades and two diamonds,
leaving West on play. At this point West was tempted to lead a high diamond to let East
discard, but that turned out to be fatal. Either major suit would work to disrupt declarer’s
entries and to prevent declarer from shortening himself.
On West’s top diamond play, East threw a spade, and declarer, Frankie Karwur, ruffed in
hand, overtook a heart to run the club jack and 10 as East ducked. Then he ruffed another
diamond to hand and went back to a top heart. With the lead in dummy he could score his
club ace and queen, whatever the defense did.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You cannot bid no-trump without
South Holds: a heart stop, and a negative double almost
♠ K 10 6 guarantees four spades, so should be your
♥7643 choice only if nothing else seems attractive.
♦A9 I'd guess to bid two clubs, assuming partner
♣K742 will be able to bid no-trump, repeat
diamonds, or raise clubs, any of which
South West North East wouldn't disturb me.
1♦ 1♥
?
“Nature, with equal mind,

Sees all her sons at play;
Sees man control the wind,
The wind sweep man away.”
— Matthew Arnold
Dealer: East North

When China ZH and Indonesia met in the first phase of Vul: Neither ♠ J 10 6 3
the Yeh Brothers Cup, both were on the cusp of qualifying ♥AQ97
♦A83
for the top group; but one bad match by either could drop ♣K4
that team into the Swiss. This deal cost the Chinese West East
♠K742 ♠Q
dearly.
♥ J 10 4 3 2 ♥K
♦ 10 7 ♦KQ964
In one room the Chinese East came in over a no-trump ♣J2 ♣ 10 9 7 6 5 3
opening to show the minors and bought an exceptionally South
♠A985
poor dummy in three clubs doubled. Though he was ♥865
allowed to escape for down two, minus 300 was not a ♦J52
♣AQ8
great score.
In the room shown, declarer, Zhuang Zejun, received a Pass
diamond lead and ducked it to the queen. Back came a 1♦* Pass 1♥ Pass
club won in dummy. Declarer led with a low trump to the 1♠ Pass 4♠ All pass
queen and ace, then played a heart to the nine and East’s *11-15 points, diamonds or balanced
king. When a second club came back, declarer won in
Opening Lead: ♦10
hand and played a third club, planning to pitch a diamond
and crossruff. However, West ruffed in, leaving declarer with an inevitable trump and
diamond loser.
Had declarer run the heart eight, covered by West, before playing the club, he would have
been much better placed. He leads out the spade jack, then the 10, which West must
duck, or declarer can draw trump, cash the club winner, then take the heart finesse.
When both trumps are ducked, declarer changes tack and plays the diamond ace, ruffs a
heart to hand, and leads the club queen to pitch dummy’s diamond, leaving West with just
his master trump.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: As usual, acting comes with a
South Holds: government safety warning — bidding can
♠ J 10 6 3 damage your bank-balance. But if you pass
♥AQ97 three diamonds out, then the opponents win.
♦A83 When you have both majors and opening
♣K4 values, it is a reasonable gamble that your
side has a fit. It does not take much to give
South West North East game play (imagine partner with five spades
3♦ Pass Pass to the ace-king and a singleton diamond).
?
“A victory is twice itself when the achiever brings home full numbers.”
Dealer: East North

Yaniv Zack of Israel reached four hearts in today’s 2011 Vul: East- ♠ 10 8 7
Yeh Brothers Cup deal. West led the club queen, ducked West ♥AJ62
♦Q72
all around, then helpfully shifted to a spade to the king, ♣K43
ducked, followed by a spade to declarer’s ace. Now Zack West East
♠QJ94 ♠K3
passed the heart 10 successfully. He repeated the heart
♥Q97 ♥84
finesse, took the diamond finesse, cashed the diamond ♦ 10 9 8 4 ♦K6
ace and queen, and crossruffed with his remaining ♣ Q 10 ♣A987652
South
trumps. He ended up taking six trump tricks, three ♠A652
diamond tricks and the spade ace. Had West covered the ♥ K 10 5 3
♦AJ53
heart 10 with the queen at trick four, the crossruff fails. But ♣J
there is a route to success — though I would take my hat
off to anyone who found it! South West North East
1♣
When in dummy at trick four, lead a diamond. If East plays Dbl. 1♥* Dbl. 2♣
2♥ Pass Pass 3♣
low, you put in the jack, draw a second round of trumps 3♦ Pass 3 NT Pass
with the jack, and play a second diamond, ducking East’s 4♥ All pass
king! East is endplayed, forced to lead a club, and you *Spades
now have an extra winner and just enough entries to
unscramble them. Equally elegant, if East puts up the Opening Lead: ♣Q
diamond king on the first round to avoid this endplay, you
win, cash the heart jack, ruff a club, take the heart king, and lead a diamond to the queen.
In the four-card ending, dummy has a card in each suit, while you hold two spades and
two diamonds. You lead the club king and pitch a spade, forcing East to win and return a
club, exercising a suicide squeeze on his partner as you pitch a second spade.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: It would be easy to say that you
South Holds: described your hand at your previous turn
♠A652 and should not bid again. That would be
♥ K 10 5 3 overly pessimistic; in context, your hand is
♦AJ53 far more offensively oriented than the typical
♣J balanced heart raise. I cannot guarantee
that reraising hearts will work — but equally,
South West North East don't automatically assume all heart raises
1♦ Pass 1♥ 2♣ are created equal.
2♥ 3♣ Pass Pass
?
“Battles nor songs can from oblivion save,

But Fame upon a white deed loves to build.”
— Lizette Reese
Dealer: North North

In today's deal from last year's Yeh Cup in Wuxi, China, Vul: East- ♠KQ8
three hearts looks to be high enough. But Agustin Madala West ♥4
♦ A 10 7 2
bid game and received a diamond lead to the king, a ♣AKQ75
spade shift to the ace, and a second diamond. He rose West East
♠AJ943 ♠ 10 7 6 5
with the ace, pitched his diamond loser on the top spade,
♥97 ♥KQ53
then finessed the heart jack, noting West's seven. Now he ♦Q853 ♦K9
played a club, ruffed a diamond as East threw a club, took ♣J3 ♣ 10 9 4
South
a second top club, and played dummy's top spade to pitch ♠2
his last club. ♥ A J 10 8 6 2
♦J64
♣862
Next came a second diamond ruff as East pitched his last
spade, and since the defenders’ only plain-suit cards were South West North East
spades, declarer could safely exit with the heart jack, 1♣ Pass
knowing that if East won and had a spade to lead, 1♦* Pass 2♦ Pass
2♥ Pass 2 NT Pass
declarer would be able to ruff low and not be overruffed. 4♥ All pass
As the cards lay, East won and played back a heart,
*Hearts
letting Madala finesse and claim his contract.
Opening Lead: ♦5
East had only one chance to make declarer’s life harder.
When the fourth diamond was led from dummy, ruffing low would have given up any hope
of getting a second trump trick. But might East have given declarer a losing option by
ruffing high?
Declarer has to overruff, then has to read whether to exit with a high trump or a low one,
depending on whether the remaining heart honor is bare or the nine is falling. I think
declarer should get this right; if West has false-carded with the trump seven from 9-7-x,
good luck to him.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: A bid of one spade would show
South Holds: at least five, but you can double to show four
♠ 10 7 6 5 spades and values, typically with diamond
♥KQ53 tolerance. You are very much at the
♦K9 minimum end of therange for this action, but
♣ 10 9 4 if you do not bid now, you may never get an
easy and relatively safe chance to show
South West North East values.
1♣ 1♦ 1♥
?
“Love your neighbor, yet pull not down your hedge.”

— George Herbert
Dealer: North North

While most declarers were in four hearts in today's Yeh Vul: North- ♠82
Brothers deal, Liu Jun was in three no-trump. South ♥A864
♦84
♣ A Q 10 8 2
It might have been easier to pass out three diamonds West East
doubled: A trump lead will apparently net a minimum of ♠Q7643 ♠95
♥KJ72 ♥9
300. But on the informative auction shown, West led a
♦763 ♦ A J 10 9 5
diamond to the nine and king. A club finesse held, the ♣7 ♣K9543
next one lost as West threw a spade, and back came a South
♠ A K J 10
low diamond. Declarer won in hand, cashed his spade ♥ Q 10 5 3
and heart winners, and presented East with a diamond. ♦KQ2
♣J6
That player could cash three diamonds, but then had to
concede the last three clubs to dummy. South West North East
Pass 2 NT*
East should have returned the diamond jack at trick four, Dbl. 3♦ Dbl. Pass
in which case West would have had the option to win the 3 NT All pass
diamond six on the third round. But declarer has a *Minors
resource.
Opening Lead: ♦7
He advances the heart queen, hoping for a bare jack or
nine with East, then cashes one club, pitching a heart, comes to hand with the second top
spade, and exits with a diamond. If East wins, he must surrender the game-going tricks in
clubs. If West wins, he has a spade to cash, but can’t manage more than one heart trick.
Incidentally, if West pitches a heart on the second club, declarer wins the diamond return
and returns a third diamond. If East cashes out, West is squeezed in the majors; if East
switches after taking a diamond or two, declarer sets up hearts as before.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: I recommend that you use the
South Holds: call of two hearts here as natural and
♠Q7643 nonforcing — less than an invitation. The
♥KJ72 logic is that with invitational values or better,
♦763 you can bid the new minor (here, two clubs)
♣7 as a forcing relay asking for three-card
spade support or four hearts. If you do that,
South West North East a jump to three hearts should show 5-5 with
1♦ Pass invitational values.
1♠ Pass 1 NT Pass
?
ANSWER: Marty Bergen invented a

convention called Bromad (Bergen Raises
Dear Mr. Wolff: after a MAjor is Doubled). Bids of two clubs
Where will the next world championships be, and two diamonds in response — whether
and how will I be able to follow them online? by a passed hand or an unpassed hand —
show 6-9 high-card points and three or four
— Cable Subscriber, Tucson, Ariz. trumps respectively. There are many
variations on this theme.
ANSWER: It pains me to admit that the
venue for the championships has not yet Dear Mr. Wolff:
been determined. It was planned for the UK
to coincide with the Olympics there, but it is My partner was in third chair and after I
now more likely to be in France or Italy. opened two diamonds the next player bid
Watch this space — and if you want to follow two hearts. He held ♠ J-5, ♥ Q-10-9-4, ♦ J-5-
the contest live, you can listen to live 4, ♣ A-Q-6-2 and passed, because he had
commentary on BBO and livespring. We DO good defense to hearts. This did not work
know that in 2013 the world championships out well since the opponents got together in
will be in Bali. spades. Any comments?
— Gumball Rally, Sunbury, Pa.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
My LHO held ♠ A-J-9, ♥ A-4, ♦ K-Q-8, ♣ Q-5- ANSWER: The reason why it is clear-cut
4-3-2 and overcalled one no-trump over my (some would say automatic, but I've been
one-heart opening bid. That got him to a told that one should not use that word no
hopeless three no-trump contract with three matter how much I think it to be the case) is
small hearts facing the ace. What do you that raising diamonds makes it so much
think about his choice? harder for the opponents to judge
competitive auctions, and to locate a black-
— Weak Link, Newark, N.J. suit fit if they have one.
ANSWER: I would prefer to double with this Dear Mr. Wolff:

hand because of the danger that my
opponents have a long suit where I have a If the opponents double your partner's
delicate stopper. By contrast, switch my red Stayman inquiry, how can you show a
suits and I would bid one no-trump if my stopper? And how should you handle the
RHO had opened one diamond. The danger continuations?
associated with a one-diamond opening bid — Fighting Back, San Francisco, Calif.
is far lower.
ANSWER: If the opponents double

Dear Mr. Wolff: Stayman, you should redouble when you
Should you play Drury to show values and want to play there, and bid only when you
support for partner if the opponents double have a stopper. Thus passing denies a
your partner's opening bid of a major? I stopper, letting responder redouble to
understand there is a convention to handle reinitiate Stayman. If responder bids two
that. diamonds after your pass of your double or
redouble, that should be natural and
— Drury on the Down-Low, North Bay, nonforcing.
Ontario
“It is incident to physicians, I am afraid, beyond all other men, to mistake subsequence for
consequence.”
— Samuel Johnson
Dealer: North North

Today's deal is from the 1960s British Bridge World Vul: East- ♠AJ53
Simultaneous Par Contest. West ♥ K 10
♦J4
♣AQ983
The directed contract was three hearts by South, and the West East
required lead was the unbid suit, diamonds. East wins the ♠ K 10 7 4 2 ♠Q96
opening lead with the 10, and has to decide on a plan at ♥742 ♥A5
♦852 ♦ A K Q 10
trick two. ♣J4 ♣7652
South
The problem is that declarer must be denied diamond ♠8
♥QJ9863
ruffs in dummy, but besides that East should realize he ♦9763
must restrict the diamond discards from declarer’s hand. ♣ K 10
Ace and another heart apparently solves the first part of South West North East
1♣ Pass
the problem: Dummy’s hearts as a source of ruffs are
1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass
removed. But that does not deal with part two. Declarer 2♥ Pass 3♥ All pass
simply draws the last trump, then throws losing diamonds
from hand on clubs. And if East passively exits with Opening Lead: ♦2
anything but a trump, declarer plays to ruff diamonds in
dummy and emerges with at least nine tricks.
The card to defeat the partscore is the heart five. Appreciating that the heart ace is still
lurking, ready to deal with dummy’s second trump, South sees that playing for diamond
ruffs is a hopeless plan. He cashes the club king and ace, then discards a low diamond on
the club queen. If clubs break 3-3, all would be well.
But as the cards lay, West ruffs the third club, returns a trump to East’s ace, and there are
still two diamond tricks to come — one down.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: On auctions of this sort, when
South Holds: you have no easy lead (e.g., an honor
♠J92 sequence or a five-carder), you tend to look
♥ J 10 7 4 for safety. Here it feels right to lead hearts;
♦Q5 dummy rates to have either one heart or
♣A653 two, and as long as partner has any heart
bigger than the eight, you should not cost
South West North East your side a trick. If dummy has a singleton or
1♣ Pass 1♥ doubleton honor, you surely rate to build
Pass 1♠ Pass 1 NT your side quick tricks.
All pass
The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, May 1st, 2012
“My family pride is something inconceivable. I can't help it. I was born sneering.”
— W.S. Gilbert
Dealer: West North

Thomas Bessis is part of what would surely be the Vul: Both ♠Q832
strongest bridge-playing family in the world, since both he ♥A654
♦52
and his brother and his parents have been successful in ♣K98
U.S., European, and world championship events. West East
♠ 10 5 4 ♠KJ6
♥3 ♥K7
Here, he was declarer in four hearts. Against that contract
♦8743 ♦ K J 10 9
West led the club queen, which was allowed to hold. A ♣ Q J 10 7 2 ♣A643
second club was ruffed by Bessis, who continued with the South
♠A97
heart queen. ♥ Q J 10 9 8 2
♦AQ6
When it was not covered, he rose with the ace as, on the ♣5
bidding, he fully expected East to hold the king — which
might even have been singleton. Had West held high-card Pass Pass 1♦
values, it was perhaps more likely that he would have 1♥ 3♦ 3♥ Pass
made an unassuming cue-bid of two hearts, showing 4♥ All pass
diamond support, instead of making the pre-emptive bid of
Opening Lead: ♣Q
three diamonds directly.
Next came a successful finesse of the diamond queen, then the ace and a diamond ruff
eliminated the suit. A club ruff eliminated that suit too, and now declarer exited with a
heart and could claim his contract when East won the trick.
The point was that with the minors eliminated, either he would receive a ruff and discard,
or the defense would have to broach the spade suit, and with East on lead, the defense
could get only one trick. If West had shown up with the heart king, East would have been
a lock to hold the spade king, and declarer would have been able to hold his spade losers
to one by force.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: The best way to make a slam-try
South Holds: here is to jump to four clubs. This is a
♠ A 10 7 splinter raise of spades, suggesting short
♥ Q J 10 9 8 2 clubs, and lets your partner evaluate his
♦AQ6 assets accurately. A simple forcing raise of
♣5 spades might work well, but the key may
well be whether there are wasted values in
South West North East clubs.
1♠ Pass
2♥ Pass 2♠ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012
“Quarry mine, blessed am I

In the luck of the chase.
Comes the deer to my singing.”
— Navajo hunting song
Dealer: West North

South claimed that he had been desperately unlucky to Vul: North- ♠ J 10 6
run into a lie of the cards that led to his defeat in today's South Teams ♥ 8 6 2
♦QJ
deal. But you, the jury, will get to decide his case. Was he ♣AKQJ6
unlucky or careless? West East
♠AKQ85 ♠932
♥J973 ♥4
What happened at the table would probably be mirrored at
♦K5 ♦ 10 9 7 6 4 2
many tables in even a top-level duplicate field. Against ♣ 10 5 ♣872
four hearts West led three rounds of spades. Declarer South
♠74
ruffed the third one, cashed the heart ace and king, and ♥ A K Q 10 5
was discomfited to see West with the length. He switched ♦A83
♣943
his attention to clubs, and when two rounds of the suit
stood up, he played a third. West ruffed and exited with South West North East
the heart jack to leave declarer with a diamond loser. 1♠ 2♣ Pass
2♥ Pass 3♥ Pass
South was at fault for not taking the diamond finesse after 4♥ All pass
two rounds of clubs, but as the cards lie, that would not
Opening Lead: ♠K
have helped.
However, a better approach would be to ruff the spade at trick three, then play the heart
ace and follow up with the heart 10. If West wins and plays another spade, you can ruff in
dummy, then cross back to hand with the diamond ace, and draw trump. If East wins and
leads a diamond through, you simply rise with the ace and run the clubs after extracting
the remaining trump.
Almost but not quite as good is to draw one trump, then cross to dummy with a club to
play a heart toward your hand, intending to finesse. However, you might conceivably run
into a club ruff by following this line.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: This is a difficult hand to
South Holds: evaluate. You have enough to commit the
♠ J 10 6 hand to game in spades, but if you believe
♥862 you have enough to make a mild slam-try
♦QJ (which is aggressive but certainly not
♣AKQJ6 unreasonable), then you should bid four
hearts now. This has nothing to do with
South West North East presence or absence of a heart control, but
1♠ 3♥ simply shows opening-bid values in a raise
?
to at least four spades.
The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, May 3rd, 2012
“When I hoped I feared,

Since I hoped I dared.”
— Emily Dickinson
Dealer: South North

Isn't it just like partner to bid most aggressively when you Vul: Both ♠A6
have to play the contract? That happened to George ♥ Q 10 9 8 3 2
♦J6
Steiner playing with Gaylor Kasle. ♣854
West East
The heart game was no shoo-in here: It was missing the ♠ 10 9 8 ♠QJ75
A-J-x-x-x of trump, with two sure diamond losers — and ♥A764 ♥J
♦ 10 9 7 2 ♦AK854
what about the clubs? ♣Q2 ♣ 10 9 7
South
West led the diamond 10 in response to his partner’s ♠K432
♥K5
lead-directing double. East won the king and switched to a ♦Q3
low spade. Steiner took the spade in dummy and called ♣AKJ63
for a low heart. Up popped the jack; That was one hurdle
cleared. 1 NT Pass 4♦* Dbl.
Pass Pass Rdbl.** Pass
West took the heart ace and played a second round of 4♥ All pass
diamonds to East’s king. Back came the club 10. Steiner *Texas transfer to hearts
won with the ace, picked up trumps with three more **Re-transfer
rounds (as East discarded three diamonds), then played a
spade to the king and ruffed a spade. It wasn’t a sure Opening Lead: ♦10
thing, but it looked as though East had started with four
spades. This meant that his original shape appeared to be 4-1-5-3.
If so, Steiner realized that he could catch East in a show-up squeeze. When Steiner
played the last heart from dummy, East had to find a discard from the spade queen and
the club 9-7. East discarded a club on the heart, and Steiner threw his spade.
When Steiner played a club from dummy and East produced the nine, Steiner was
confident that the queen would drop under the king. It did, and Kasle’s aggressive bid paid
off with a near top.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Although you have a maximum
South Holds: hand for your first call, the combination of
♠K432 the negative double on your left (suggesting
♥K5 spade length), coupled with your partner's
♦Q3 silence, argue for caution. I don't think you
♣AKJ63 are likely to get badly hurt if you bid two
spades now, but I believe you should pass
South West North East and hope your partner will be able to
1♦ balance if he has values and the two-
2♣ Dbl. Pass 2♦ diamond bid comes back to him.
?
The Aces on Bridge: Friday, May 4th, 2012
“Praise is the best diet for us, after all.”

— Sydney Smith
Dealer: East North

One often hears the truism about needing to play the Vul: East- ♠ A 10
cards up if you overbid them. A truer word was never West ♥A9532
♦AK
spoken about today's deal, where South's jump to four ♣8642
spades would not appear in any textbook — a three- West East
♠— ♠K943
spade bid looks ideal for these values.
♥ 10 8 ♥KQJ76
♦J9732 ♦Q4
The lead of the heart 10 went to dummy’s ace. Declarer ♣ Q 10 9 7 5 3 ♣KJ
saw the need for reducing his trumps in hand as quickly South
♠QJ87652
as possible if the diamonds did not produce a miracle, so ♥4
he took the risk of ruffing a heart with the spade six, the ♦ 10 8 6 5
♣A
highest trump he thought he could afford.
When that passed off peacefully, declarer cashed the club 1♥
ace. Next came a diamond to the king, a club ruff, then a 4♠ Pass 6♠ All pass
diamond to the ace and another club ruff. The sight of the
diamond queen on the second round of the suit, coupled Opening Lead: ♥10
with East’s discard on the third club, gave South a
warning. Eventually he decided that the fall of the spots had strongly suggested East was
likely to have begun with a 4-5-2-2 shape. He therefore ruffed the next diamond with the
spade ace, and the expected news was confirmed when East pitched a heart.
Another club ruff with a low trump let South take a diamond ruff with the spade 10.
Whether East overruffed or discarded, declarer would be able to score his spade eight at
the next trick and come to 12 tricks — a triumph for overbidding!
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Some people would tell you that
South Holds: they know whether it is right to open one no-
♠ A 10 trump or one heart with this hand. I don't feel
♥A9532 strongly either way, but my general approach
♦AK is to open a five-card major when I have a 5-
♣8642 4 pattern in the appropriate range. This hand
is something of an exception — the strength
South West North East of the two doubletons and the absence of
? intermediates both argue for the no-trump
call.
The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, May 5th, 2012
“If you don't know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else.”
— Laurence Peter
Dealer: West North

When West leads the heart king against six spades, you Vul: Both ♠KQJ2
must not ruff it with the spade two, or you will run into ♥—
♦AK62
trouble when the trumps break 4-1. This is because you ♣ A K Q 10 6
will have no entry to the South hand to draw East's last West East
♠4 ♠ 10 8 7 3
trump. If anyone holds four trumps, it will surely be East.
♥AKJ7543 ♥Q96
So you should ruff at trick one with the spade king and ♦8 ♦ Q J 10 9 4
continue with the spade queen and jack, West showing ♣J953 ♣4
South
out on the second round. What now? ♠A965
♥ 10 8 2
You can reasonably place West with 1-7 shape in the ♦753
♣872
major suits, so nothing can be lost by cashing the
diamond ace and king. If West follows to two diamonds, South West North East
you will eventually play clubs from the top. You would then 3♥ Dbl. 4♥
expect clubs to break 3-2 and — more importantly — Pass Pass Dbl. Pass
there would be nothing you could do about a holding of
jack-fourth with East. As it happens, it is West who shows Opening Lead: ♥K
out on the second diamond, suggesting that he has 1-7-1-
4 shape. You play the club ace to take a look at East’s singleton, and then lead the spade
two for a finesse of the nine. After drawing the last trump, you can confidently finesse the
club 10.
Incidentally, if your trumps were A-8-6-5 in hand instead of your actual holding, you would
again need to ruff high at trick one. This would boost your chances of success when West
began with a singleton spade 10 or 9. You would still have the trump finesse available.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Despite the absence of controls
South Holds: and high cards, you are best off raising to
♠ 10 8 7 3 two hearts now, rather than passing and
♥Q96 hoping to get a second chance. You do have
♦ Q J 10 9 4 some playing strength, and raising here
♣4 does not promise the earth. When both
sides have a fit, that is the time to bid more,
South West North East not less.
1♣ 1♥ 2♣
?
The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, May 6th, 2012
ANSWER: Thank you. I especially value my

readers' opinions on issues like this. The
Dear Mr. Wolff: graphics in "Bridge for Dummies" by Eddie
The ACBL appeal booklets refers to good Kantar are also helpful for beginners.
and bad tempo breaks. I thought they were
all bad, by definition. Please explain the
difference. Dear Mr. Wolff:
— Slow Learner, Twin Falls, Idaho Holding ♠ K-7-4, ♥ Q-J-9-5, ♦ A-4, ♣ K-Q-10-
2, I assume you would open one no-trump.
When the next hand shows the majors and
ANSWER: The ACBL tournaments publish a your RHO picks hearts, would you double? I
summary of appeals here. When a player did not do so, and the contract went three
takes a long while to sign off or to double, he down. I felt it was an opportunity lost.
is generally conveying unauthorized — Lucy Locket, Miami, Fla.
information to his partner. This is a bad
hesitation, and one should strive to avoid
such actions. Conversely, many other slow
actions do not convey a clear message of ANSWER: You cannot double, at least not in
what you are thinking about. They are not my book. I play that as takeout, typically a
giving unauthorized information. hand with a maximum and a small doubleton
in hearts — since I might be facing a
Yarborough. Maybe if you pass, your partner
could find a reopening double with short
Dear Mr. Wolff: hearts and a six- or seven-count.
Recently you ran a deal where the player in
second seat doubled one spade with: ♠ K,
♥ K-10-6-2, ♦ A-K-Q-7-2, ♣ A-J-4. That Dear Mr. Wolff:
player then removed a double of four spades
by his partner to four no-trump. Was this How should I respond to an opening bid of
Blackwood? If not, what did the call show? one of a minor when I hold both four-card
majors and 6-9 HCP? I know it is standard to
— Doubly Confused, Selma, Ala. bid up the line, but if my partner has a
balanced hand with four spades, he may
bypass the spade suit to bid one no-trump.
ANSWER: The four-no-trump bid should Is it reasonable for responder to bid one
have been annotated as suggesting two spade and then introduce the hearts?
possible strains in which to play — akin to — Major Major, Tupelo, Miss.
the unusual no-trump, but here not
specifically the minors. Whenever you
remove a high-level double, you show a
good hand of course. With a one-suiter you'd ANSWER: I would never do this unless the
bid it; with two suits you announce it with an spades were very strong and the hearts very
unusual no-trump call, then correct partner's weak. My partner would normally bid one
choice if he picks the wrong one. spade over one heart with four or more
clubs, and if he does rebid one no-trump
with a square hand, the board may play just
fine in that strain.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
I'm responding with regard to the letter from
the couple who want to learn to play bridge
but have no resources where they live.
"Bridge for Everyone," by D.W Crisfield,
(Morris Book Publishing Co.) is a "Knack
Made Easy" book. I know several beginner
and intermediate bridge players who have
found it very helpful, myself included.
— Marian the Librarian, Princeton, N.J.
The Aces on Bridge: Monday, May 7th, 2012
“There is no security on this earth; there is only opportunity.”

— Douglas MacArthur
Dealer: East North

This is the normal time of year for the Cavendish Vul: East- ♠KQ9
tournament in Las Vegas, but this year the event will be West ♥4
♦ K 10 7 6 3
held in Monaco in the fall. I shall be running deals all week ♣9652
that focus on the players in last year's event. Here is a West East
♠AJ8 ♠ 10 6 2
deal that saw the winners from 2011 chalk up what
♥972 ♥ K J 10 8 5 3
seemed to be a normal if mildly fortunate result. But there ♦A42 ♦Q5
is more to it than that. ♣ J 10 8 7 ♣43
South
♠7543
North-South actually play a strong club, so I’ve simplified ♥AQ6
the auction to a standard sequence. The play in three no- ♦J98
♣AKQ
trump saw declarer, Kit Woolsey, win the first heart and
pass the diamond jack to East. Back came a heart, South West North East
ducked, and a club shift. Woolsey won and drove out the Pass
diamond ace, and when both aces were onside, he had 1 NT Pass 3♥* Dbl.
3 NT All pass
nine somewhat fortunate tricks — or was there more to it
* Both minors, short hearts
than that?
Opening Lead: ♥2
Contrast what happened when Justin Lall and Kevin
Bathurst were West and East respectively. Since South had opened a 14-16 no-trump,
North passed initially, Bathurst balanced with two hearts, and North reopened with two no-
trump, a nonforcing call suggesting the minors, which South judged to pass.
The heart lead was won by South, who played the diamond jack. Lall hopped up with the
diamond ace and cleared the hearts. Now declarer had to guess if East had the bare
diamond queen or the spade ace, and he got it wrong by repeating the diamond finesse
— down two!
Lall’s defense protected his partner’s entry and deserved the result it achieved.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: There is no reason to look
South Holds: beyond your black suits on opening lead.
♠A754 Spades are an unbid suit — but either
♥Q3 opponent might turn up with four. The
♦95 advantage of a club is that your extra length
♣ Q 10 6 4 2 and intermediates make it both more
attacking and somewhat safer if partner
South West North East produces any high card in the suit. As
1♣ against that, East has bid the suit. I think a
Pass 1♥ Pass 1 NT club feels right; five-card suits have so much
All pass more to offer.
The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, May 8th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on May 22nd, 2012
“One-half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other.”

— Jane Austen
Dealer: East North

This deal came from the final match of the teams event at Vul: East- ♠A73
the Cavendish last year, won by Lou Ann O'Rourke, who West ♥AQ65
♦54
retained her team's lead by defeating Roy Welland in the ♣AK43
head-to-head match. West East
♠KJ95 ♠ 10 8 2
♥ 10 3 ♥J2
Welland had to fight to limit the damage here. His decision
♦AKQ973 ♦ 10 8 6 2
to lead his singleton club against four hearts, playing for ♣8 ♣ Q 10 9 6
ruffs, created an opportunity for declarer, one that would South
♠Q64
not have existed if the lead had been two top diamonds, ♥K9874
which is what Steve Weinstein had done in the other ♦J
♣J752
room. All that declarer could do was ruff and set up the
clubs, then rely on a favorable spade position. When none South West North East
was forthcoming, he was down one. Pass
Pass 1♦ Dbl. Pass
However, against Welland’s club lead, declarer, Eric 2♥ 3♦ 4♥ All pass
Greco, took the club ace, drew trumps, then cashed a
Opening Lead: ♣8
second top club to find the bad news. He next led a
diamond to the 10, jack and queen. It looks routine for West to exit by leading a second
top diamond for declarer to ruff. But had Welland made that play, Greco would have
pitched a spade instead of ruffing. That would have endplayed West, who would have to
lead either spades or diamonds, allowing declarer to avoid losing a spade trick.
Welland saw this coming, so he underled his diamonds on the second round of the suit to
Bart Bramley’s eight. Declarer could now do no better than ruff and eventually play for the
spade king onside or some unlikely endplay from the spade spots. Down one, and a flat
board.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: It looks simple just to jump to six
South Holds: no-trump, assuming that you have enough
♠A73 high cards for this to make. However, a far
♥AQ65 better call is to explore with five no-trump.
♦54 This is not the grand-slam force — it offers
♣AK43 the choice of slams. It suggests the values
for slam and asks partner to propose a strain
South West North East at the six-level. He might have either five
1 NT Pass spades or four clubs, in which case you'd
2♣ Pass 2♠ Pass
prefer not to play no-trump.
?
The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, May 9th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on May 23rd, 2012
“Give me a fruitful error any time, full of seeds, bursting with its own corrections. You can
keep your sterile truth for yourself.”
— Vilfredo Pareto
Dealer: West North

The fifth session of the 2011 Cavendish began with Levin- Vul: Both ♠542
Weinstein (who had won the title in three of the last four ♥—
♦AKJ
years) having what seemed like a nearly insuperable lead ♣AJ98532
over the pack. The tournament had thus far featured wild West East
♠AQ63 ♠J8
deals, but the first three deals of the final session were
♥ A K Q 10 5 ♥J98632
quiet. Not so for the fourth. ♦75 ♦Q6
♣K7 ♣ Q 10 6
At one table an American international player sitting North South
♠ K 10 9 7
made the mistake of overcalling two clubs, then, after his ♥74
opponents had reached four hearts, reopening with a bid ♦ 10 9 8 4 3 2
♣4
of five clubs. He was doubled there, and the defenders
collected an easy 500 — not bad, since four hearts had South West North East
no play at all because of the defense’s club ruff. 1♥ 2♣ 4♥
Pass Pass Dbl. Pass
Of course it was possible for North-South to do better than 4♠ Dbl. Pass Pass
5♦ All pass
defend four hearts or go for a big penalty. Look at what
happened to the eventual winners. Kit Woolsey, South, Opening Lead: ♥K
heard his partner, Fred Stewart, bid two clubs, then
double four hearts for takeout.
He removed to four spades and, when doubled by West, ran to five diamonds. Nobody
doubled that contract — which was just as well, since it proved to be unbeatable! After a
top-heart lead, Woolsey ruffed in dummy, played the club ace, ruffed a club, then crossed
to a top diamond and ruffed another club. East followed suit, while West could not overruff
the diamond 10. Then declarer drew the last two trumps, ran the clubs, and had 12 tricks
for a remarkable plus-620.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: There are two reasons to bid just
South Holds: one heart and not jump to two hearts. The
♠J8 first is that with bad hearts and scattered
♥J98632 defensive values, you are unsuitable for a
♦Q6 pre-empt. The second is that using a jump
♣ Q 10 6 by a passed hand as weak when you did not
pre-empt initially seems a poor use for the
South West North East call. I prefer to use it as fit-showing — five
Pass Pass 1♣ Dbl. decent hearts and at least four clubs with a
? maximum pass.
The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, May 10th, 2012
“As with the Stream our voyage we pursue,

The gross materials of this world present
A marvelous study of wild accident.”
— William Wordsworth
Dealer: South North

Today's deal shows that even experts (and especially Vul: Neither ♠ A 5 4 2
those playing complex systems) can have expensive ♥ 10 3
♦AQ93
accidents. In this deal from the 2011 Cavendish pairs ♣KJ3
championships, North and South disagreed about whether West East
♠ 10 9 6 ♠873
the four-diamond call followed by five no-trump — to pick
♥J854 ♥Q976
a slam — suggested four diamonds or five. Put me in the ♦J642 ♦85
camp that says four, though perhaps North could have bid ♣ 10 2 ♣A986
South
five no-trump over three no-trump to avoid that problem. ♠KQJ
♥AK2
In six diamonds declarer Alex Smirnov misguessed the ♦ K 10 7
♣Q754
trump suit, naturally enough, and that was a double
disaster since the field had generally been restrained South West North East
enough not to reach slam. (Some players had quite 1♣ Pass 1♠ Pass
sensibly opened the South hand a 15-17 no-trump to stay 2♦* Pass 2♠** Pass
3 NT Pass 4♦ Pass
low.) 4♥ Pass 5 NT Pass
6♦ All pass
Zia Mahmood was not one of the cautious Souths. He and
*18-plus HCP and three-card spade
Bob Hamman bid to six no-trump. Zia won the low-heart support
lead (best for the defenders, else a squeeze develops) **Four spades, 11-plus HCP
and knocked out the club ace, East winning to return a
Opening Lead: ♠10
low heart. Now the timing for the double-squeeze had
gone, but Zia simply cashed off the spades from hand, led
the diamond 10 to the diamond queen, then took the spade ace and club queen. At this
point he decided that the opponents had been telling the truth in hearts, so the suit was 4-
4. Since West was known to hold precisely three spades and two clubs, he had four
diamonds. So Zia crossed to the diamond king and finessed in diamonds for 12 tricks.
Five pairs made the no-trump slam; two went down.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: I think the choice between one
South Holds: spade and one no-trump is closer than it
♠A542 might appear. With bad spades, only a 4-4
♥ 10 3 pattern, and a good stop in the unbid suit
♦AQ93 (clubs), I think one no-trump is the more
♣KJ3 descriptive call. You can always find spades
if partner has enough values to invite game
South West North East by using new minor or checkback Stayman.
1♦ Pass 1♥ Pass
?
“What I say is, patience, and shuffle the cards.”

— Miguel de Cervantes
Dealer: West North

On today's deal from the Cavendish pairs North-South bid Vul: North- ♠J5432
aggressively to reach a game in the face of their South ♥753
♦8
opponent's strong no-trump. Personally, as North I'd feel I ♣ A Q J 10
needed a little more to invite game with a singleton in West East
♠ K Q 10 9 ♠A86
partner's likely second suit and only three small trumps,
♥ 10 4 ♥QJ2
but it is hard to argue with results! ♦J76 ♦A543
♣6432 ♣K85
As a result of Michel Bessis’ aggression, Thomas Bessis South
♠7
played in four hearts, and John Mohan led the spade king ♥AK986
— as would we all. When he continued with a second ♦ K Q 10 9 2
♣97
spade, he had given declarer all the help he needed. (In
the identical position Darren Wolpert shifted to a club to South West North East
doom the contract.) Pass Pass 1 NT
2♥* Pass 3♥ Pass
On the spade continuation Bessis ruffed and advanced 4♥ All pass
the diamond king. East, Huub Bertens, won and shifted to *Hearts and a minor
a low trump. Bessis won and passed the diamond 10
Opening Lead: ♠K
successfully, then ruffed a diamond, ruffed a spade, and
cashed his remaining top trump, leaving East with a master trump, a losing diamond, and
his clubs.
When declarer ran diamonds, East could ruff the fifth and be endplayed to lead a club into
dummy’s tenace, or discard and be endplayed a trick later with his trump for the same
club endplay.
A few pairs were lucky enough to be playing transfers over their opponents’ weak no-
trump. That let North declare four hearts, and on a club lead into the tenace, the deal was
all over. Still, only four pairs bid and made game here of the 25 tables in play.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: This may sound like sacrilege to
South Holds: my readers, who have been brought up to
♠A86 believe that takeout doubles must be short in
♥QJ2 the suit doubled, but I would recommend
♦A543 doubling on balanced decent openings even
♣K85 with three cards in the opponent's suit. It is
simply too dangerous to pass. The best
South West North East holdings in their suit are the ace or nothing
1♣ at all. Soft defensive cards like the queen
? may mislead partner about your offense.
“A little inaccuracy sometimes saves tons of explanation.”

— Saki
Dealer: North North

North-South would probably not want to get to six hearts, Vul: Neither ♠ Q 9 8
but several tables at the Cavendish teams in 2011 were ♥ J 10 2
♦ A K 10 7 5 2
unable to resist the temptation. ♣J
West East
On the auction shown, South was fairly confident that he ♠K63 ♠J742
♥843 ♥6
was going to buy a singleton club opposite, and right he
♦QJ96 ♦43
was. Michael Seamon led a top club and continued the ♣KQ3 ♣ A 10 8 6 4 2
suit to tap the dummy. Declarer, faced with the choice of South
♠ A 10 5
what he deemed to be an unlikely squeeze or a trump ♥AKQ975
break, played off the top diamonds, then ruffed a ♦8
♣975
diamond, went to the heart jack, and ruffed another
diamond. The 3-1 heart split doomed him to down one. South West North East
1♦ Pass
The same fate beckoned John Kranyak and Gavin 1♥ Pass 2♦ Pass
Wolpert; they also reached slam, and the defenders also 2♠ Pass 3♥ Pass
3♠ Pass 4♣ Pass
led and continued clubs, but this line of defense
4 NT Pass 5♣ Pass
persuaded Kranyak that hearts would not split. 6♥ All pass
Accordingly, he decided to follow a different approach. He Opening Lead: ♣K

ruffed the club, crossed to a heart, ruffed another club,
came to the spade ace, and ran the hearts. His luck was in — the spade-diamond
squeeze materialized when West had sole control of those two suits, and 12 tricks were
duly recorded.
Nicely defended by an unlucky expert? Yes and no! In fact, after the top club lead, the
defense must shift to a red-suit (either will do). Declarer can only bring in the diamonds by
drawing three rounds of trump without taking a club ruff. Four diamonds, six hearts and
the spade ace make only 11 tricks.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: At any vulnerability, open this
South Holds: hand one diamond, not two. You are
♠Q98 playable in both majors, so you don't want to
♥ J 10 2 lose a fit there, and your partner will never
♦ A K 10 7 5 2 expect you to hold such a good hand if you
♣J pre-empt. When deciding what level to open,
add two points for a six-carder and one for
South West North East any additional four-carder to your hand's
? HCP. If the number exceeds 13, open unless
you have no aces.

I know I'm supposed to lead top of a Holding ♠ K-Q-2, ♥ —, ♦ A-K-J-10-9-8-5,
sequence, and as third hand I'm supposed to ♣ K-Q-2, I bid one diamond, and my partner
play the lowest of a touching sequence when responded one heart. I guessed to bid three
trying to win the trick. Is there a rule as to diamonds, knowing it was something of an
what card I should play from a sequence underbid, but my partner passed, holding
when declarer leads a suit — or, as declarer, two small diamonds with the spade ace and
whether I should win the trick with the lower heart ace-queen, and four small clubs. Five
or higher card from a sequence to make my diamonds was cold, and six was makable if I
opponents' life harder? finessed for the diamond queen. I thought he
should have gambled out three no-trump,
— Mercy Me, Pottsville, Pa. but how should the bidding have gone?
— The Grinch, Monterey, Calif.
ANSWER: As declarer, win the trick with the
higher card from a sequence. (In fact, as
declarer, always follow with the higher card ANSWER: Slam is indeed good but far from
from equals, except at trick one in no-trump, laydown. On your actual auction you made a
when you should win the king from ace- small underbid — but a reasonable one —
king). This is the most deceptive strategy. As with three diamonds, while your partner has
a defender, follow with the lower card from a a crystal-clear call of three no-trump. He
sequence when in second seat. won't always make it, but with 10 points and
a balanced hand, he has no choice but to try
for game.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
Playing pairs, I was in second chair with no Dear Mr. Wolff:
one vulnerable, holding ♠ Q-J-7-3-2, ♥ K-4,
♦ 9-8-5-2, ♣ K-10 while my partner had ♠ A- Recently I was in second seat when my
10-9-6, ♥ 5-3, ♦ A-J-10-7, ♣ A-5-4. I passed RHO bid two of a suit, which was strong and
at my first turn, of course, and my LHO's forcing, I passed, and so did my LHO! At this
three-club opening bid was passed out. The point, dealer claimed that his call was a
contract went down a trick, but we still demand bid and his partner HAD to respond.
scored very poorly. Should either of us have One player said that third hand's call was
acted over the pre-empt? legitimate, and after fourth hand had passed,
that closed the bidding. How should this
— Calamity Jake, Sioux Falls, S.D. issue have been handled?
— Connect the Dots, Bellingham, Wash.
ANSWER: Fourth hand has a balanced
minimum opening — one that could not
comfortably bid over ONE club. Just ANSWER: The rules are relatively clear
because your opponents pre-empted is no here. A player does not get to alter his bid if
reason to go mad. Can a passed hand he changes his mind or his partner tries to
balance with three spades here with your change his mind for him (or her). So when
cards? I say maybe; change your cards to third hand passes two hearts — deliberately
include a singleton club and you might have or not — that's it. Just because a call is
an easier action. I suspect the three-club call forcing does not mean that a player has to
was off-center — and you were just fixed. bid — or that a law is broken if he doesn't.
His partner's heart may be broken, but that is
another matter.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
Are there some general guidelines as to
when a redouble should be SOS as opposed
to business?
— Redouble Trouble, Aurora, Colo.
ANSWER: The simple answer is that

anytime the double is penalty, a redouble
from either hand should be rescue. The
utility factor of redoubling a making contract
is that you stand to gain very little, so the
redouble should mean something else. In
other words, we've made a mistake — not
they've made a mistake. In all other cases, a
redouble should show extra values if the
double was not penalty.
“Then, worn with toil, and tired of life,

In vain her shining traps are set.”
— Rose Cooke
Dealer: West North

I try to make the deals on Mondays slightly easier than the Vul: Both ♠AQ5
later deals within the week. But beware! Today's deal ♥ Q 10 9 5
♦J64
contains an unfriendly trap. ♣Q94
West East
South declares four spades, West leads the diamond king ♠J986 ♠4
and ace, and declarer ruffs. Declarer can almost always ♥3 ♥87642
♦ A K Q 10 9 5 ♦873
make the contract, as long as the trumps are no worse ♣A8 ♣7652
than 4-1. But he must begin by cashing the ace and king South
♠ K 10 7 3 2
of trump! When the 4-1 spade break appears, he plays on ♥AKJ
clubs. West ducks the first club to try to disrupt declarer’s ♦2
♣ K J 10 3
communications, then wins the second and plays another
diamond. South West North East
1♦ Pass Pass
Declarer ruffs and is now reduced to one trump in each 1♠ 2♦ Dbl.* Pass
hand, while West has two trumps left. Declarer now simply 3♣ Pass 4♠ All pass
plays on hearts. (This line succeeds no matter which *Good cards
shape West started with — either two or three clubs.) The
Opening Lead: ♦K
idea is that when West ruffs in and returns a diamond, as
he must, declarer discards a club from table, ruffs in hand, and then uses his remaining
clubs as substitute trumps. He runs the clubs, overruffing West whenever he ruffs in, and
has the rest.
If it turned out that East had the four trumps, either declarer would be able to cash all of
the side winners, or East would find himself in a situation like the one shown here.
Playing the trumps reflexively by cashing the spade ace, then the queen, sees declarer
fail in this layout. West scores a second trump trick one way or another.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: It looks very easy to lead a
South Holds: spade. I'm not convinced it is right, although
♠ 10 4 it would certainly keep my partner happy!
♥ A 10 8 2 Right or wrong, I'd lead a low diamond (not
♦ Q 10 9 5 3 the 10, because it runs the risk of blocking
♣72 the suit) and be ready to apologize to my
partner if necessary. The fact that I have a
South West North East side-entry makes a big difference here.
1♣ 1♠ 3 NT
All pass
“Opinions cannot survive if one has no chance to fight for them.”

— Thomas Mann
Dealer: South North

After the teams medals were settled at the 1st World Mind Vul: North- ♠AQ98
Sports Games in 2008, there were further events to South ♥Q972
♦82
occupy the Juniors — a Pairs Championship and an ♣K54
Individual. This hand is from the Pairs, and not many pairs West East
♠ 10 7 6 5 ♠—
reached slam.
♥ 10 ♥J865
♦A97653 ♦ K Q J 10 4
More often than not, if there is a choice of fit, contracts — ♣QJ ♣ 10 9 8 6
especially high-level ones — play better when trumps split South
♠KJ432
evenly. This hand is an exception: Six spades, a 5-4 fit, is ♥AK43
the place to rest, not six hearts — the 4-4 fit. ♦—
♣A732
After Radu Nistor and Bogdan Vulcan of Romania had
landed neatly in their best contract, West led the diamond 1♠ Pass 3♠ Pass
ace — nothing else is better. Nistor ruffed in hand, then 4♣ Pass 5♠ Pass
played a low spade to the queen, whereupon the 4-0 6♠ All pass
break came to light.
Opening Lead: ♦A
With no possibility of 13 tricks, declarer needed to secure
12. There would be no problem if hearts broke 3-2, but, if possible, he had to guard
against a 4-1 or 5-0 break. There were two straightforward chances — clubs might be
breaking 3-3, or the hand with four or more hearts also held four or five clubs.
So, Nistor’s next step was to duck a club. Back came a diamond, which Nistor ruffed with
the jack; then he drew the rest of the trumps by cashing the king, finessing the nine, and
cashing the ace.
At this point he played dummy’s last spade, which squeezed East out of his heart or club
guard, and so the slam came home.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: The two-heart call is forcing for
South Holds: one round since your cue-bid set up a force
♠AQ98 until a suit is agreed uppn. Over this bid it
♥Q972 looks sensible to invite game by raising to
♦82 three hearts; this is natural and invitational. If
♣K54 your partner passes, you surely won't have
missed game.
1♦ Dbl. Pass
2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass
?
“Gold undiscovered (and all the better for being so).”

— Horace
Dealer: North North

In this deal from the Blue Ribbon semifinals, David Vul: East- ♠ K 10 7 6
Berkowitz found himself in a very ambitious three-no- West ♥9863
♦A6
trump contract. His Precision one-club opening bid was ♣ 10 9 8
overcalled with a natural spade, which kept his side out of West East
♠J9854 ♠—
the spade contract that they were surely destined to find
♥ K J 10 ♥7542
without intervention. Larry Cohen doubled to show 5-8 ♦K92 ♦ J 10 4 3
high-card points, then optimistically raised the one-no- ♣A5 ♣QJ743
South
trump rebid to game. ♠AQ32
♥AQ
Even when you look at all four hands, it’s hard to see a ♦Q875
♣K62
way to more than seven tricks. West led a fourth-best
spade, which Berkowitz won in dummy with the six. The South West North East
club 10 was ducked around to the ace, setting up Pass Pass
Berkowitz’s seventh trick. West persisted with spades, 1♣* 1♠ Dbl Pass
1 NT Pass 3 NT All pass
which Berkowitz won in dummy with the 10 to take a
*16-plus, any shape
losing heart finesse. West got out with the heart jack, and
now Berkowitz saw that he might be able to set up a heart Opening Lead: ♠5
for his eighth trick. And where there are eight…
He won the heart ace, played off the club king (to remove West’s exit card), cashed all the
spades ending in dummy, and exited with a heart. West could take his good spade, but
then had to lead a diamond away from his king. With the diamond queen scoring in hand,
and the heart nine a winner in dummy, Berkowitz had his nine tricks — four spades, one
club and two tricks in each red suit for plus 400 — almost all of the matchpoints.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: It used to be that overcalls were
South Holds: limited in high cards to an opening bid and
♠J9854 should promise a good suit. Those days are
♥ K J 10 gone; bidding anything else but one spade
♦K92 with this hand would be a severe distortion.
♣A5 At the one-level, overcall with either a good
suit or a good hand whenever you can.
Pass 1♦
?
“The smiler with the knife under the cloak.”

— Geoffrey Chaucer
Dealer: East North

Today's deal reminds me of an expression my Vul: North- ♠Q5
grandmother used to use: "He was so sharp, he cut South ♥ Q 10 7 3
♦ J 10 5
himself." ♣ A 10 9 7
West East
The exact auction was different at the various tables, but ♠A4 ♠ 10 7
♥AKJ92 ♥654
East frequently opened three diamonds and South
♦87 ♦KQ9432
overcalled four spades. West leads the heart king and ♣6432 ♣J5
switches to the diamond eight. Plan the play. South
♠KJ98632
♥8
You are not sure whether East has six diamonds or seven ♦A6
for his opening pre-empt at favorable vulnerability, so it ♣KQ8
looks dangerous to duck the diamond. The problem is that
if you win and play a spade to the queen and another 3♦
spade, West may win his ace and play a second diamond. 4♠ All pass
Now a third round of diamonds may promote a trick for his
presumed spade 10. Opening Lead: ♥K
One declarer, alert to this danger, found a neat solution. At trick three he crossed to
dummy’s club ace and played the heart queen, discarding his second diamond from hand.
This play was designed to cut the communications between his opponents’ hands so they
could no longer get the trump promotion.
Or could they? While declarer had neatly protected himself against an imaginary danger,
he had created a new and fatal problem. The real layout was as shown in the diagram.
When West won the heart ace he continued with a second round of clubs. He then won
the first round of trump with the ace and gave his partner a club ruff. One down!
Note that almost any other “normal” line of play would have succeeded.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: I like to play that the one-spade
South Holds: rebid shows at least four clubs. (With only
♠Q5 three clubs and 4-3-3-3 pattern I rebid one
♥ Q 10 7 3 no-trump over one heart.) Accordingly, I can
♦ J 10 5 raise to two clubs with a clear conscience;
♣ A 10 9 7 with the spade king instead of the queen I
might well have bid three clubs instead, but
South West North East this hand looks just short of invitational
1♣ Pass values.
1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass
?
by Bobby Wolff on June 1st, 2012
“The good effect of fortune may be short-lived. To build on it is to build on sand.”

— Marquis de Racan
Dealer: South North

When his partner opened with a weak two-spade bid, Vul: Neither ♠ Q 7 5
North could visualize a grand slam if South held the ace ♥—
♦AK642
and king of trump. His leap to five no-trump passed ♣AKQ82
exactly this message: "Please bid the grand slam if you West East
♠A3 ♠86
hold two of the three top honors." Note that it would not
♥AQJ654 ♥ 10 8 7 2
have solved North's problem had he used Roman Key- ♦ 10 9 5 3 ♦Q8
card Blackwood instead, since the heart ace would have ♣5 ♣ J 10 9 6 4
South
been worthless. ♠ K J 10 9 4 2
♥K93
Since South held only one of the three top trump honors, ♦J7
♣73
the bidding stopped in a small slam. How would you play
this when West leads ace and another trump? South West North East
2♠ 3♥ 5 NT Pass
There are 11 tricks on top, including one heart ruff. Which 6♦ Pass 6♠ All pass
minor suit should you play first?
Opening Lead: ♠A
Declarer decided to play two top clubs, intending to ruff
the suit good if a 4-2 break came to light. When West showed out on the second round of
clubs, declarer took a diamond ruff, hoping for a 3-3 break in that suit. No luck came his
way and he had to go one down.
Curiously, it is better to play on diamonds first. If that suit breaks 5-1, you still have the
one (ruffing) entry that you need to take advantage of a 4-2 break in clubs. Diamonds
break 4-2, in fact, so you can easily establish a long card in that suit.
The general principle is to play first on the suit that may need more entries to establish
and reach the long cards.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: There is no need to panic and
South Holds: pass; your partner has shown a very good
♠86 hand with 5-6 pattern, and longer diamonds
♥ 10 8 7 2 than spades. You have very little to offer
♦Q8 him, but you know diamonds rate to play
♣ J 10 9 6 4 better than spades because of the extra
trump. So just bid three diamonds now, and
South West North East let your partner decide where to go from
1♦ Dbl. there.
Pass 1♥ 1♠ Pass
2♦ Pass 2♠ Pass
?
by Bobby Wolff on June 2nd, 2012
“I wander in the ways of men,

Alike unknowing and unknown.”
— Robert Burns
Dealer: South North

Today's deal was provided to me by Alan Sontag. It came Vul: East- ♠J972
up in a practice match in New York, organized by Mark West ♥852
♦A862
Gordon before the Seattle Nationals in November. Mark ♣A2
was the hero in a delicate contract of four hearts. Against West East
♠KQ3 ♠ 10 8 5
this contract in the other room West led a club, and
♥7 ♥QJ9
declarer had made the normal play of tackling trumps by ♦ 10 5 4 3 ♦QJ9
leading the suit from the top, going down one. ♣Q9764 ♣ K J 10 3
South
♠A64
In the other room David Berkowitz had quite reasonably ♥ A K 10 6 4 3
elected to lead a diamond rather than a club, which does ♦K7
♣85
not appear to make any significant difference, but Gordon
was quick to seize on his extra chance. He took the South West North East
diamond king at the first trick, cashed the heart ace and 1♥ Pass 2♥ Pass
king, then played the diamond ace, ruffed a diamond, 2♠ Pass 4♥ All pass
crossed to the club ace, and led the fourth diamond,

Opening Lead: ♦3
discarding his club loser.
West was forced to win the trick and exit with a club, letting Gordon ruff and play for his
only remaining chance of finding West with an embarrassing spade holding. When he
exited from hand with a low spade, West won the trick, but whatever he returned allowed
declarer to avoid a spade loser and concede just one more trick to the master trump.
The defenders are helpless in the ending, since once trumps break badly, declarer’s only
legitimate chance against excellent defense is to play a low spade as he did, and find
West with both spade honors or honor-10 doubleton.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Do you invite game or drive to
South Holds: game? And do you use Stayman or treat the
♠J972 hand as balanced and focus on no-trump?
♥852 The answer to the first question is that your
♦A862 lack of intermediates makes this hand worth
♣A2 no more than an invitation, and you should
look for spades rather than ignoring your
South West North East major. If you find a fit and your partner has
1 NT Pass weakness or shortage in any side-suit, you
?
will be glad you did.
by Bobby Wolff on June 3rd, 2012
ANSWER: Play should cease after a claim.

The most important step is to call the
Dear Mr. Wolff: tournament director, politely, before anything
What should be the range for overcalling one further happens. The director should ask the
no-trump in direct seat, and what in claimer to state a line of play, and then you
balancing seat? can point out why you think this claim is
ineffective. Normally a claimer will not be
— Susie Q, Dover, Del. forced to make an irrational play, but may be
forced to follow an inferior line if he has not
made a complete statement.
ANSWER: The overcall in direct seat won't
include all 15-counts, and may include some
18-counts. It should always deliver a stopper Dear Mr. Wolff:
in the opponent's suit. You might make an
exception with a completely balanced hand My partner and I recently played in a club
over an opening bid of one club,- since that game. I was in third chair with: ♠ K-10-4, ♥ 9-
call doesn't really promise club length. In 5-4-2, ♦ K-6-4, ♣ A-8-2 and heard my partner
balancing seat the modern expert open one diamond. After an overcall of one
community tends to play a range of 11-16 spade, I made a negative double. Were my
over a major, and 10-14 over a minor. You hearts too weak for this action? Should I
cannot afford to let the auction die with have bid one no-trump instead?
anything approaching an opening bid. — The Sign of the Four, Montreal
Dear Mr. Wolff: ANSWER: There is no suit restriction on the

Playing pairs, at favorable vulnerability, you negative double. You'll almost always want
are in second seat with ♠ K-10-6-4-2, ♥ —, to find a 4-4 heart fit if you have one since
♦ A-6-3-2, ♣ 10-9-7-6. Over one diamond your spade stop is not very strong . Once in
would you act? And if you pass and hear a while you will bypass a weak four-card
one heart on your left and two hearts on your major, but not here.
right, would you change your mind and act
now?
Dear Mr. Wolff:
— The Penguin, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
I just finished reading "The Lone Wolff." I
enjoyed it immensely and thought it was
ANSWER: I would overcall one spade. The excellent. Do you have any plans to write
upside of bidding with a heart void is that another book?
you make the opponents introduce the suit a — Constant Reader, Holland, Mich.
level higher. Your LHO, with five hearts and
scattered values, may not be able to bid
hearts, or may double, or may bid when he
shouldn't. I would bid two spades at my ANSWER: I may never write another book,
second turn, though that normally shows an but I'm happy with the reception this one got.
opening bid with diamond length and maybe I think I've brought the world up to date with
only four spades. my original thoughts, and whenever new
ideas occur to me, I put them on my blog.
You can follow this (and the contributions of
my wife, Judy) at bridgeblogging.com.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
What is the correct procedure to follow when
contesting a claim by either declarer or the
defenders?
— Secretary Bird, Cartersville, Ga.
The Aces on Bridge: Monday, May 21st, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on June 4th, 2012
“No bugle breathes this day

Disaster and retreat!”
— Thomas Aldrich
Dealer: West North

The line between triumph and abject failure at Board-a- Vul: North- ♠96
Match scoring is often finer than at any other form of the South ♥A987
♦ A K Q 10 7 6 5
game. The scoring works like that in pairs but with only ♣—
two tables in play. You either win or lose the board no West East
♠K4 ♠753
matter what the difference in score might be unless the
♥ 10 6 4 ♥KJ53
result is an exact tie. In other words, if your opponents ♦4 ♦J92
make six spades, you win the board for making six no- ♣AK86542 ♣J73
South
trump, but lose the board by just the same margin if you ♠ A Q J 10 8 2
miss slam or go down in the grand slam or play six of a ♥Q2
♦83
minor suit. ♣ Q 10 9
In this deal from the 1993 Reisinger Board-a-Match South West North East
Teams, Al Rand found a way to set a slam contract two 3♣ 3♦ 4♣
tricks when declarer failed to see what was going on. 4♠ 5♣ 5♦ 6♣
6♠ Pass Pass Dbl.
All pass
The bidding had convinced Rand that one of his
opponents had a void in clubs, so he led his singleton Opening Lead: ♦4
diamond instead of a top club. Of course a club lead (or
even a heart lead, which would have been my choice) makes declarer’s task impossible,
but one can understand Rand’s thinking.
Declarer took the diamond lead in dummy and passed the spade nine, which Rand
ducked smoothly. Declarer, suspecting nothing, took a second trump finesse, and the roof
fell in. Rand took his king and quickly cashed two clubs.
If declarer had read Rand’s mind and gone up with the ace on the second trump lead, he
would have taken all 13 tricks. But he wound up with only 10.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Dummy rates to have length in
South Holds: both majors and a weak hand. A trump lead
♠Q92 looks sensible as least likely to give away
♥QJ something. A deceptive heart jack might
♦ A 10 5 4 2 persuade declarer to misplay the suit — and
♣J82 can hardly fool partner dramatically.

1 NT
Pass 2♣ Pass 2♥
All pass
The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012
“Of thee I sing, baby,

You have got that certain thing, baby….”
— Ira Gershwin
Dealer: East North

There is a lot of talk in the bridge press about the Vul: Both ♠2
increasing average age of bridge players, and speculation ♥654
♦K92
about whether this signals the eventual death of our ♣J97632
game. For the past 15 years or so, there has been an West East
♠ K Q 10 8 7 4
international series for Under-20s, and it is to their ranks ♠6
3
♥ K Q 10 9 7 2
that we must look for our players of the future. ♥J8
♦ 10 8 7
♦Q43
♣ Q 10 4
The USA has been moderately successful in putting out ♣5
South
decent teams in the schools categories, and the junior ♠AJ95
players of a decade ago are rising to the top in national ♥A3
♦AJ65
events — but there is still a way to go. ♣AK8
Declarer in today’s deal from the UK was a then 18-year- South West North East
old Ben Paske, playing with his 16-year-old brother Tom. 3♠
3 NT All pass
Against three no-trump West chose to lead his own heart
suit rather than his partner’s spades. (A spade would have Opening Lead: ♥K
been no more successful.) Declarer ducked the first heart
and won the continuation. He then tried the club ace and king. When that suit failed to
break, marking West with the missing queen, declarer played a diamond to the king, a
diamond to his jack and cashed the diamond ace and six.
Now all that was needed was to exit with the spade jack. East won his queen but had only
spades left. When he played the spade king, declarer ducked. Now East had no option but
to lead another spade, allowing declarer to take the marked finesse for his ninth trick.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: This one is a no-brainer. West
South Holds: doubled your partner for takeout, which East
♠2 converted to a penalty double. How much
♥654 more unsuitable a dummy could you put
♦K92 down here? Remove to two clubs, and if you
♣J97632 are wrong, you can tell your partner that you
were playing the percentages with your
South West North East action.
1♥ 1♠ Pass
Pass Dbl. Pass Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012
“His mental processes are plain — one knows what he will do,
And can logically predicate his finish by his start.”
— Rudyard Kipling
Dealer: South North

Because this deal was the last of a session at the 1st Vul: East- ♠AQJ953
World Mind Sports Games, maybe the players were tired, West ♥—
♦Q6
which is perhaps why some took their eyes off the ball. ♣AJ875
West East
A low-heart lead away from the ace could lead to the ♠K862 ♠ 10 7 4
defeat of the club slam, but who would find that? ♥ A J 10 8 4 2 ♥K
♦ K 10 8 ♦J9732
♣— ♣9642
At the table, West led a spade and declarer took the free South
finesse. The queen held, but declarer made the fatal error ♠—
♥Q97653
of discarding a low diamond from hand. This would not ♦A54
have cost if trump had not divided 4-0. A heart discard — ♣ K Q 10 3
or even the diamond ace — would have saved declarer.
But South should have foreseen that the diamond queen 1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass
might be needed as a late entry back to dummy. 2♣ Pass 4♣ Pass
4♦ Pass 4♠ Pass
Declarer cannot afford to cash a high trump from dummy, 6♣ All pass
and so does best to work on spades. The spade ace (for a
Opening Lead: ♠2
second heart discard), then a spade ruff, is followed by a
high club from hand, getting the bad news. Now comes a low diamond toward the queen.
It does not matter whether West inserts the king — the diamond entry to dummy will still
be there. As you can see, though, the early diamond discard blocked the suit.
When West takes his diamond king, then whatever he returns, another spade ruff can be
engineered, setting up that suit. After South cashes his last trump, he can re-enter dummy
via the diamond queen and draw trumps.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your partner's bid is highly
South Holds: encouraging but not forcing. In context, your
♠ 10 7 4 heart king and four trumps are almost
♥K enough to drive to game. I'd settle for a call
♦J9732 of four clubs though, because if your partner
♣9642 reoffers four hearts, you can pass happily.

1♥ Pass
Pass Dbl. 3♣ Pass
?
“If we who are in life cannot speak

Of profound experiences,
Why do you marvel that the dead
Do not tell you of death?”
Dealer: East North

Years ago, there was an annual BOLS bridge-tip Vul: Both ♠Q2
competition, which contained a wealth of material for ♥ Q J 10 7 3
♦ Q 10 8 7 5
bridge journalists. Zia Mahmood won 20 years ago with a ♣ 10
tip to the effect that defenders generally cover honors if West East
♠ A 10 7 5 ♠3
they can.
♥K54 ♥982
♦964 ♦K32
This tip was used to good effect in the following hand ♣765 ♣KQJ842
played by Jeremy Dhondy. South
♠KJ9864
♥A6
In the other room the inelegant contract of four hearts had ♦AJ
come home when East led a spade. Against four spades, ♣A93
though, West led a club. Declarer won this in hand and
ruffed a club. Now he had the problem of which red-suit 3♣
finesse to take. With Zia’s tip in mind, he led dummy’s Dbl. Pass 4♥ Pass
diamond queen. 4♠ All pass
As the original reporter of this deal commented, in Opening Lead: ♣5

retrospect it was foolish of East to cover this card. Why
would declarer play on this suit in this manner if he did not have the ace and jack? And if
that were the case, then covering the diamond queen could only make life easier for him.
Had East resisted the urge to cover, declarer would have played for the red-suit kings to
be the other way around. He would surely have risen with his diamond ace, ruffed his last
club, and run the heart queen. West would have won his king and the defenders would
have had two trump tricks and the diamond king to come. At the table, when the diamond
queen was covered, declarer unblocked diamonds, ruffed a club, pitched a heart on the
diamonds, and gave up two trumps.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: It would be nice to play a two-
South Holds: suited defense to one no-trump, allowing
♠Q2 you to get both suits off your chest at one
♥ Q J 10 7 3 go. DONT, Cappelletti and Woolsey work
♦ Q 10 8 7 5 well to achieve this target. But if you do not
♣ 10 have any of these methods available, you
should bid two hearts rather than pass. You
South West North East may not have a great hand, but you do have
1 NT Pass Pass good shape. In balancing seat that is almost
? enough on its own.
“The privilege of absurdity, to which no living creature is subject but man only.”
— Thomas Hobbes
Dealer: South North

Today's deal contains points of interest both for defenders Vul: Neither ♠ Q 3 2
and for declarer. ♥QJ
♦A76542
♣82
Looking at all four hands, can South make six hearts on West East
the lead of the spade queen? ♠ J 10 7 6 4 ♠AK985
♥— ♥8743
♦J9 ♦Q83
If South ruffs the opening lead and plays ace and another
♣ K 10 9 7 6 5 ♣Q
club, East must ruff his partner’s winner and play a trump, South
restricting South to 11 tricks. If East hoards his trump, not ♠—
♥ A K 10 9 6 5 2
ruffing his partner’s winner, then the 4-0 break comes to ♦ K 10
declarer’s rescue. He can simply arrange to ruff his two ♣AJ43
club losers in dummy and come to 12 tricks painlessly.
1♥ Pass 1 NT Pass
Of course, declarer does not know in advance about the
4♥ Pass 5♦ Pass
bad trump break, but he must plan to counter this line of 6♥ All pass
defense. What he must do at trick two is play the diamond
king, then cash the diamond ace, and ruff a diamond high. Opening Lead: ♠J
He has now established the diamonds as a threat against East. When he now plays ace
and another club, East again must ruff and play a trump, or South reverts to the crossruff
line. The difference is that when South wins the trump in dummy and finds the bad break,
East is left with only two trumps instead of three.
South simply plays a winning diamond from the dummy. East must ruff again, but now a
second heart to dummy draws East’s last trump and provides access to dummy for the
last time. So both of declarer’s club losers can be discarded on dummy’s two remaining
diamond winners.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your partner's double is takeout,
South Holds: suggesting values and the unbid suit.
♠AK985 Obviously you intend to bid hearts. The
♥8743 question is whether to bid three hearts or
♦Q83 just make the simple call of two hearts. The
♣Q fourth trump is exceedingly valuable, but
with the queens in the minors instead of one
South West North East in the trump suit, I'd settle for a call of two
1♣ hearts, planning to complete to three hearts
1♠ 2♦ Dbl. Pass if necessary.
?
“There are two paths for human feet —

One bordered by a duty plain,
And one by phantoms cursed, yet sweet,
Bewildering heart and maddening brain.”
— Henry Herbert
Dealer: South North

When today's deal was played at the Dyspeptics Club, Vul: Both ♠652
South was at the reins in his favorite contract of three no- ♥QJ5
♦ 10 9 6
trump. West led the heart 10, dummy contributed the ♣ A Q 10 3
queen, and East the king. South gave very little thought to West East
♠K84 ♠973
ducking the trick — he tried it once and didn't like it.
♥ 10 9 8 7 3 ♥K62
Instead he won with his ace and took a losing club ♦KQ5 ♦872
finesse. East cleared hearts, and declarer held up his jack ♣95 ♣K862
South
(for no particular reason), won the next heart, and ♠ A Q J 10
finessed in spades. West won and cashed out the hearts ♥A4
♦AJ43
for down one, while South was mournfully complaining ♣J74
about a gypsy's curse that he claimed had doomed every
finesse he would ever take for the rest of his life. South West North East
North, noting that both diamond honors were also badly
Opening Lead: ♥10
located, asked if South would be prepared to bet against
the fate of the contract in the hands of a competent
declarer. South agreed to the bet, but what had North seen that South had missed?
Say declarer ducks the first trick, wins the heart return, and plays the spade queen from
hand next. The defense is now powerless, since West’s entry card has been dislodged.
Declarer can win the return and go after clubs, secure in the knowledge that if the finesse
loses, the nondanger hand, East, will have no way to reach West for his good hearts.
This example of attacking the entry to the danger hand first is especially hard to spot
because the spades have to be led from hand.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You have a splendid hand on the
South Holds: auction, more than enough to bid four
♠652 hearts. But just in case partner is interested
♥QJ5 in slam, you should bid four clubs to give
♦ 10 9 6 your partner an additional option if a 4-4 club
♣ A Q 10 3 fit is best for slam. That could easily be right
if your partner has a doubleton spade ace or
South West North East king and five hearts, along with four or five
1♥ Pass clubs.
2♥ Pass 3♣ Pass
?
ANSWER: A mixed raise is a jump cue-bid

in the opponents' suit facing an overcall.
Dear Mr. Wolff: They apply even when the overcaller or the
I'm never sure whether the best strategy is player making the call is a passed hand. The
one that yields the best percentage, or one name comes from the fact that the high
that gives the defenders a chance to err. For cards are those associated with a single
example, with Q-10-x in dummy facing A-9- raise, but the shape is that of a pre-emptive
8-x in hand, how should I play the suit? raise. The range is 6-9 or so, and should not
vary too much either by position or
— Tall Order, Richmond, Va. vulnerability.
ANSWER: The percentage line (which gives Dear Mr. Wolff:

you a 76 percent chance of success) is to
run the queen, then the 10 — or vice versa. Playing rubber bridge with both sides
But the best practical line is to lead low to vulnerable, I dealt myself ♠ K-7-4, ♥ 5-4-2,
the 10, and if it loses to the jack, run the ♦ A-J-9-4-3, ♣ K-2, and passed. My LHO
queen. You give your LHO a chance to also passed, and my partner bid four
betray possession of the king, and that turns spades. Was I wrong to enter the auction
my line (which in theory has a 7 percent now? I eventually bid Blackwood, and we
chance) into one with a far greater chance of played five spades when missing two aces.
success. The contract hinged on a club finesse and
went down one. (My partner had 8-2-0-3
shape with eight semisolid spades and the
Dear Mr. Wolff: heart king.)
With no one vulnerable, would you overcall — Diving into Hot Water, Springfield, Mass.
in third seat holding ♠ J-5-4, ♥ K-Q-9-5-4,
♦ 3-2, ♣ J-6-4 after your partner has passed
and your RHO has bid one diamond? At the ANSWER: I think the result you achieved
table I passed, and my partner did not find was not surprising. If you aren't good enough
the heart lead that would have defeated to open, then you can't really have enough to
three no-trump. look for slam facing a hand that opens with a
pre-empt and does not explore for slam. I'd
— By the Book, Eau Claire, Wis. have more sympathy if you had opened and
then got too high for that reason.
ANSWER: I think that the hand you quote is
NOT worth an overcall. I'd be more tempted Dear Mr. Wolff:
to overcall one spade over a minor or even
one heart over one club, but, as it is, the When looking for a missing queen, should
overcall takes up no space from the you play for the queen to lie over the jack?
opponents. While I appreciate that I'm not For instance, with a suit such as A-J-x facing
really answering your question, I would K-10-8-x-x, how should you play?
overcall with as little extra as a black queen. — Queen-Spotter, Houston, Texas
Even the heart jack instead of a small heart
would really tempt me to act when
nonvulnerable.
ANSWER: From a purely percentage
perspective, playing the ace and running the
jack picks up the singleton queen (as
Dear Mr. Wolff: opposed to the first-round finesse) and also
You've mentioned the concept of a mixed allows you to guard against a four-card suit
raise from time to time. Please explain the to the Q-9 over the jack, so it is the right
concept. Do mixed raises still apply when play. When in doubt, I finesse into the
overcaller is a passed hand? opponent I like more. That is as logical as
any other approach.
— The Raiser's Edge, Greenville, S.C.
“The downhill path is easy, but there's no turning back.”

— Christina Rossetti
Dealer: West North

One recurring theme of the first World Mind Sports Games Vul: Both ♠98
was the difference that the opening lead could make to ♥A82
♦ J 10 8 7 5
the outcome of a contract. For example, here's a deal ♣A72
from the Women's match between England and Poland. West East
♠ 10 5 3 2 ♠AK76
♥765 ♥J4
In the first room, Nicola Smith, East for England, opened
♦4 ♦A96
one club and South overcalled one heart. North-South ♣ K Q 10 9 6 ♣J543
explored further, then settled in three hearts. Sally Brock South
♠QJ4
led her singleton diamond; Smith took her ace and ♥ K Q 10 9 3
returned the diamond nine, suit preference for spades. ♦KQ32
♣8
Brock ruffed, returned a spade, and received another
diamond ruff. Another spade return completed a perfect South West North East
defense that saw the contract one down from the get-go. Pass Pass 1♣
1♥ Pass 2♣ Pass
In the other room the auction went as shown, with 2♦ Pass 4♥ All pass
Catherine Draper as North sensibly evaluating her
Opening Lead: ♣K
diamond fit and aces to be worth a shot at game, once
she found her partner with length in both red suits.
West looked no further than the club king for her opening salvo. Anne Rosen won in
dummy, drew trump, knocked out the diamond ace, discarded a spade on dummy’s fifth
diamond, and claimed 10 tricks.
Should West have read more into the accelerated bidding after diamonds were
mentioned? West has five points and her partner has opened the bidding. The simple
arithmetic means that North and South are unlikely to have the normal number of high
cards usually associated with a major-suit game. The inference is that they have found a
second fit, and the diamond ruff may therefore be critical to defeat the game.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: It is often right to lead a trump
South Holds: when declarer ends up in his second suit.
♠J742 (One can infer that dummy will be short in
♥K6 declarer's first suit.) Here, though, partner
♦Q43 should be able to overruff spades, so a
♣8642 trump lead seems unnecessary. I'd lead the
unbid suit — and while a good case could be
South West North East made for a high spot-card, I'd simply lead
1♦ Pass 1♠ the two (or the four if playing third-and-low
Pass 1 NT Pass 2♥ leads).
All pass
“The imagination may be compared to Adam's dream — he awoke and found it truth.”
— John Keats
Dealer: South North

In the deal that follows, Joann Sprung found a fine Vul: North- ♠832
defensive play that so deceived declarer that he wound up South ♥ K J 10 9
♦—
going down four tricks instead of scoring up overtricks in ♣AJ9652
his no-trump game. The deal comes from the first West East
♠K9 ♠ A 10 7 5
qualifying session of the 1993 Life Master Pairs. Sprung's
♥876 ♥Q543
partner was her husband, Dan. ♦ K Q 10 9 5 ♦632
♣ Q 10 7 ♣K8
Joann led her top heart, and dummy’s jack held the trick. South
♠QJ64
Declarer now led to his heart ace and led a club, no doubt ♥A2
intending to insert the nine, a play that would have ♦AJ874
♣43
enabled him to make his contract if East took his king.
This is declarer’s best play in the suit. West is far more South West North East
likely to have a holding such as Q-10-x or K-10-x than she 1♦ Pass 2♣ Pass
is to have K-Q-x. 2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass
2 NT Pass 3♣ Pass
3 NT All pass
However, on the first round of clubs, Joann played the
queen! Declarer decided to duck, and Joann led another Opening Lead: ♥8
heart, captured by dummy’s king. Declarer now led a
spade to his jack and Joann’s king, and she led the diamond king, ducked. She switched
to a spade, and Dan won his ace and cashed his good heart.
Next came a diamond to declarer’s ace, and South continued to go after clubs — but this
time Joann played the 10! Declarer could have minimized his losses by winning the ace,
but he inserted the jack and was chagrined to see the king come up on his right. Dan
switched to a diamond, and Joann took two diamond winners before being forced to give
declarer the last trick with her last club to his ace.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Nothing is perfect here,
South Holds: especially if you play a new suit as
♠QJ64 encouraging but not forcing. I'd advocate
♥A2 that you play a new suit in response to an
♦AJ874 overcall as forcing for one round if third hand
♣43 has passed. Even if two diamonds is not
forcing, it is still probably the best way
South West North East forward.
1♣ 1♥ Pass
?
“Who saves his country, saves himself, saves all things, and all things saved do bless him!
Who lets his country die, lets all things die, dies himself ignobly, and all things dying curse
him!”
— Benjamin Hill
Dealer: South North

In six spades, after winning the club queen in dummy, you Vul: East- ♠Q752
should cash the trump ace. If trumps are 5-0, you will West ♥ 10 2
♦ A J 10 6 3
need the hearts to be 3-2 on most layouts. As a result you ♣AK
will cash the heart ace and king and ruff a heart with the West East
♠4 ♠9863
trump queen before returning to hand with a trump to play
♥QJ87 ♥4
on hearts. All you will lose is a trump. ♦972 ♦KQ85
♣ Q J 10 7 3 ♣9652
When both opponents follow to the first round of trump, it South
♠ A K J 10
would be a mistake to draw a second round. If you do, ♥AK9653
you no longer have the entries to establish the hearts ♦4
♣84
when both majors are 4-1.
So, cash the heart ace, then lead a low heart to the next 1♥ Pass 2♦ Pass
trick. If instead you try to cash the heart king, East will ruff 2♠ Pass 3♠ Pass
and the contract will fail. (When East returns a trump, you 4♥ Pass 4 NT Pass
5♣ Pass 5 NT Pass
cannot then ruff two hearts and draw East’s last trump, so
6♥ Pass 6♠ All pass
you will have to concede a heart trick to West.)
Opening Lead: ♣Q
But when you correctly play a low heart at trick three,
what can the defense do? You can win a minor-suit shift and return to hand with a trump
to ruff a low heart with dummy’s queen. Then, since there will still be a trump remaining in
dummy, you can draw the remaining trump ending in hand and follow by running the
hearts. You will make four trumps, four hearts, a heart ruff and the three minor-suit
winners.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Anyone who responded one
South Holds: spade for fear of losing the spade fit should
♠Q752 go to the back of the class. It works far
♥ 10 2 better to respond two diamonds, bidding
♦ A J 10 6 3 long suits before short ones, then if
♣AK necessary introducing the spades over a
two-heart rebid. By making the two-over-one
South West North East response, you set up a forcing auction and
1♥ Pass describe your hand more accurately.
?
The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, May 31st, 2012
“I would far rather feel remorse than know how to define it.”
— Thomas à Kempis
Dealer: North North

Today's deal saw North produce a slightly aggressive Vul: East- ♠9
raise to three hearts after his partner's simple rebid of West ♥K8
♦9632
hearts. The fact that the opponents had not supported ♣AQ8762
spades did suggest that his partner would have length West East
♠AQJ65 ♠732
there — which made the action rather less attractive than
♥72 ♥ J 10 4
it might appear. At teams or rubber bridge when ♦ K J 10 ♦Q754
vulnerable, the action is not unreasonable, but at pairs it is ♣ 10 9 3 ♣KJ4
South
important in positions of this sort to protect the plus score. ♠ K 10 8 4
♥AQ9653
When West opted for a passive club lead rather than an ♦A8
♣5
aggressive diamond lead, it tipped declarer off to the idea
of rejecting the finesse. So South went up with the club South West North East
ace and decided to set up the spades in the process of Pass Pass
ruffing out the suit. 1♥ 1♠ 2♣ Pass
2♥ Pass 3♥ Pass
4♥ All pass
At trick two he passed the spade nine around to West,
who won cheaply and shifted to the trump seven. South Opening Lead: ♣10
won the king in dummy, crossed to hand with the diamond
ace, and led out the spade king, covered by the ace and ruffed.
At this point declarer could ruff a club back to hand, draw all the trumps, and give up a
spade to the queen. That left him with the master spade eight for his 10th trick. In all, he
lost two spades and one diamond.
The defenders could have defeated the game with an initial trump lead. And had West led
the diamond jack, declarer might well have misguessed the play by taking an early club
finesse — which would not have been a success!
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: The raise to two hearts should be
South Holds: at the lower end of a simple raise.
♠ K 10 8 4 (Sophisticated partnerships have other ways
♥AQ9653 to show a decent hand.) North could have
♦A8 started with a redouble, or, with partnership
♣5 agreement , have bid two clubs to show a
constructive major-suit raise. Here, you do
South West North East not have enough to make a game-try; a
1♥ Dbl. 2♥ 3♣ simple call of three hearts is enough now.
?
The Aces on Bridge: Friday, June 1st, 2012
“One man who has a mind and knows it can always beat 10 men who haven't and don't.”
— G.B. Shaw
Dealer: South North

Bridge is a strange game. Why on earth would it be easier Vul: Both ♠632
to make four hearts in today's deal than four spades? If ♥842
♦754
you do fall by accident into four hearts, you would ruff the ♣9753
club lead, cash the heart ace, then run the spades. That West East
♠9 ♠854
way you simply give up the three trump tricks to West. But
♥ K Q 10 9 ♥5
in the real world, you will play four spades. ♦ 10 9 6 ♦QJ832
♣KQJ62 ♣ A 10 8 4
You ruff the top club lead, then take the spade ace and South
♠ A K Q J 10 7
king. If trumps split, you will find it easy to make 11 tricks, ♥AJ763
but when trumps divide 3-1, it would be very easy, but ♦AK
♣—
fatal, to draw a third round of trumps.
If you do that, then play ace and another heart, West will 2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass
win and tap you for a second time with another club, and 2♠ Pass 3♣* Pass
again when he gets in with the third heart. You are now 3♥ Pass 3♠ Pass
4♥ All pass
out of trumps and can never score your fifth heart.
*Second negative
Instead, you must play ace and another heart before
Opening Lead: ♣K
playing a third trump. If hearts break, you can ruff the next
club and draw the last trump before playing a third heart. But if hearts also break badly,
you can ruff the second club, give up a heart, ruff a third club, and ruff the fourth heart in
dummy.
East can overruff for the defenders’ third trick, but the contract still succeeds — since you
have only winners left, together with one trump.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: There is some temptation to
South Holds: jump to four no-trump as a way to show the
♠854 minors, but maybe a simple call of four
♥5 diamonds is enough. And certainly if North
♦QJ832 has a very strong heart one-suiter, he would
♣ A 10 8 4 prefer to buy the hand at the four-level,
rather than go higher unnecessarily.
2♠ Dbl. 3♠
?
The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, June 2nd, 2012
“The great tragedy of Science — the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact.”
— T.H. Huxley
Dealer: South North

Today's deal sees South in a delicate no-trump slam, Vul: Neither ♠ Q 3 2
having carefully avoided the pitfall of playing six hearts, ♥ Q J 10 6
♦ K 10 7 2
where the defenders can crossruff the first five tricks. ♣Q4
Against six no-trump West finds the passive heart lead West East
♠—
and declarer has 10 top winners. He can establish a ♠AJ97654
♥932
spade trick easily enough, but if he assumes West has all ♥85
♦J93
♦Q854
the high spades, he will need to create an endplay or a ♣ 10 9 8 7 6 5
♣—
2
squeeze for the 12th trick. South
♠ K 10 8
Most simple squeezes involve trying to take the rest of the ♥AK74
♦A6
tricks, but where, as here, one trick has to be lost after ♣AKJ3
pressure is applied, the position is often more difficult to
see. South West North East
2♣ 3♠ Pass* Pass
The first step in the process is easy enough. Declarer 3 NT Pass 6 NT All pass
cashes four rounds of hearts, then sets out on the clubs. * Semi-positive values
West can discard two spades on the hearts without
Opening Lead: ♥8
discomfort. However, the four rounds of clubs do put West
under pressure. He lets go two spades early, then a painful diamond, but in the six-card
ending, he has three diamonds and three spades left. What should he do now? Since a
spade is obviously fatal, West must hope his partner has the diamond jack, so let’s go a
diamond.
Now declarer cashes the diamond ace and king, reducing West down to his three spades.
Declarer then leads a spade to his king, which West must win and lead a spade away
from his jack. Declarer runs the spade around to his hand and has the rest of the tricks.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: When you hold a balanced 10-
South Holds: count facing a minimum opening bid, your
♠Q32 first reaction should not be to try for game.
♥ Q J 10 6 Reasons to bid on include extra trump
♦ K 10 7 2 length, a long side-suit or support for
♣Q4 partner. In this case you have no aces and
no support for partner's original suit, so pass
South West North East looks clear-cut.
1♣ Pass
1♥ Pass 2♥ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, June 3rd, 2012
ANSWER: He was right to bid on, but wrong

to bid five hearts. In this auction, which in my
Dear Mr. Wolff: book definitely promises club tolerance, he
At matchpoint pairs I am often tempted to can bid five clubs with a partial club fit and
open one no-trump and bid again in four no-trump with a real heart fit, letting you
competition when I have a five-carder. What pick the strain.
are the pros and cons of this approach?
— Come Again, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Dear Mr. Wolff:
You are in third chair with ♠ Q-9-3-2, ♥ A-4,
ANSWER: In a sense the no-trump opener ♦ 7-6-5-2, ♣ Q-5-3. Your partner opens one
passes captaincy to his partner after he heart, and the next hand doubles. What
opens, but there are so many variations of would you do?
strength and shape that you should never — Head Cook, Panama City, Fla.
feel restrained about acting again —
especially by reopening with a takeout
double after intervention, when you have a
small doubleton in their suit. I do normally ANSWER: This hand is too good to pass
compete again by bidding a decent five-card and back in. I'd prefer a straightforward call
suit when I can get it in. Even if the of one no-trump, burying the spades on the
opponents can catch me, they don't always grounds that we may not want to find a fit
know that. even if we have one. This call shows the
upper range for the action in a
noncompetitive sequence, say a good seven
to 10 points, and it leaves partner well
Dear Mr. Wolff: placed for bidding on if necessary.
When my partner opened two clubs, I had
almost an opening bid. I held ♠ A-4, ♥ K-7-5-
2, ♦ Q-9-8-5-3, ♣ K-10 and responded two Dear Mr. Wolff:
no-trump to keep the bidding lower than it
would have been after a three-diamond One of the problems I have at no-trump is
response. After the deal my partner that after my lead is taken by declarer, who
suggested that I might have lied with a two- switches to his suit, I do not know what
diamond response, to hear what he had to signals my partnership and I should use at
say. What do you think? this trick. Do we use attitude, count, or suit-
preference?
— String Theory, Staten Island, N.Y.
— Wigwagger, Detroit, Mich.
ANSWER: I can see where your partner was

coming from. The problem hands in ANSWER: Never signal attitude on
response to a two-club opening come when declarer's leads. You do not need to
you don't know whether to go to slam. Here announce that declarer has made a mistake.
you know you will end in slam, so you don't If he has erred, you will already be ahead of
have to show your values yet. Turn the heart the field. Signal count only if you think
king into a small one and I can see why you partner needs to know (he often will).
might bid two no-trump to get your values Otherwise, your carding should be suit
across. preference, but a useful signal to have up
your sleeve is the Smith Echo, which in
cases of doubt suggests to partner whether
to lead your suit back or shift. More on that
Dear Mr. Wolff: anon; details can be found here.
My partner opened three clubs, the next
hand doubled, and I bid three hearts with
four small clubs and four hearts to the ace-
queen, thinking I wanted a heart lead. When
the next hand jumped to four spades, my
partner bid five hearts with jack-third of
hearts and we played six clubs doubled —
down one trick too many! Was he naïve to
trust me here?
— Fool Me Once, Salinas, Calif.
The Aces on Bridge: Monday, June 4th, 2012
“Sorrow knocked at my door, but I was afraid;

Ambition called to me, but I dreaded the chances.”
Dealer: West North

The U.S. Bridge Federation is running its trials this week Vul: North- ♠73
to select the team for the 2012 Olympiad Tournament. To South ♥ Q 10 7
♦ Q 10 8
mark the occasion, I shall be running a few deals from last ♣Q9752
year's event, in which my team qualified for the Senior West East
♠ 10 6 5 ♠AJ984
Bowl in Veldhoven.
♥954 ♥A32
♦K3 ♦96542
In today’s deal my partner, Dan Morse (East), opened one ♣AJ843 ♣—
spade and I raised to two spades over the one-no-trump South
♠KQ2
overcall, and played there. Against two spades, the ♥KJ86
defenders accurately led a heart, but ducked their ♦AJ7
♣ K 10 6
diamond ace. So Dan was able to get a heart loser away
on the club ace and hold his losers to two trumps and one South West North East
in each red-suit, for plus 140. Pass Pass 1♠
1 NT 2♠ 2 NT Pass
In the other room the auction went as shown, with Arnie 3 NT All pass
Fisher competing over two spades with two no-trump, and
Opening Lead: ♠5
Fred Hamilton moving on to game. The defenders led a
spade to the ace and returned the suit. Hamilton knocked out the heart ace, won the third
spade, and led the club king from hand. Once he had guessed clubs, the defenders had
just one trick in each suit, and Hamilton had nine tricks.
Did you notice the defenders’ slip? At trick one East must put in the spade jack, then win
the heart ace to return a low spade. Now West will win his club ace and play the third
spade to East, who can cash out for down one. (And had East ducked the heart ace
smoothly, might declarer have — fatally — switched his attention to clubs?)
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: With two attractive leads to
South Holds: choose from, I'd go for the diamonds rather
♠ 10 5 4 2 than a spade. Just because your RHO has
♥ 10 6 3 bid the suit doesn't mean that it won't be
♦ Q J 10 2 possible for you to set up the suit on
♣A3 defense. Unless dummy puts down three
cards to an honor, the lead won't blow a trick
South West North East — and even then, you might still survive the
1♦ lead.
Pass 1♥ Pass 1 NT
All pass
The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, June 5th, 2012
“Oh I get by with a little help from my friends…”

— Lennon and McCartney
Dealer: South North

I apologize in advance for this personal set of deals this Vul: Both ♠ A 10 6 2
week from last year's Senior Trials, but most of them show ♥A9
♦ A K J 10 5 4
my teammates in a good light rather than me. ♣Q
West East
Here is one example. In this deal I played three no-trump ♠Q854 ♠KJ3
♥52 ♥ K J 10 8 6 3
after introducing my clubs as a passed hand. I received
♦Q98732 ♦—
the lead of the heart five and decided to rise with the ace ♣8 ♣K953
in case East won the heart king and shifted to a spade, South
♠97
which I thought could set up too many winners for the ♥Q74
defenders. ♦6
♣ A J 10 7 6 4 2
I cashed the diamond ace at trick two to find exceedingly
bad news. Hoping for the best, I ran the club queen, which Pass Pass 1♦ 1♥
held, then led out the diamond 10 to West’s queen. Back 2♣ Pass 2♠ Pass
came a heart to West’s king, and the defenders cleared 3♣ Pass 3♥ Dbl.
3 NT All pass
hearts, leaving me with just eight tricks. Although there
was no legitimate play for nine tricks, this looked like a Opening Lead: ♥5
depressing result, but fortunately I had teammates to help
me out.
In the other room South opened three clubs and North used Blackwood, driving to slam.
East, Arnie Fisher, found a Lightner double for the diamond lead, and South (in need of a
swing) redoubled. West, Fred Hamilton obediently led a diamond, and Fisher ruffed and
returned a trump. Declarer went up with the ace and cleared the trumps, but still had to
lose a trick in the majors for a penalty of 1000 and a gain for our team of 14 IMPs.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: This is a minimum for a game-
South Holds: forcing jump-shift to two spades, showing
♠ A 10 6 2 five-plus diamonds and four spades. With a
♥A9 singleton heart and doubleton club, I might
♦ A K J 10 5 4 take the pessimistic decision to rebid one
♣Q spade. But as it is, I think the jump to two
spades gets the whole hand off my chest at
South West North East one go — never a bad idea.
1♦ Pass 1♥ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, June 6th, 2012
“The shortest way to do many things is to do only one thing at once.”

— Samuel Smiles
Dealer: North North

When our team qualified for the Senior Bowl in Veldhoven Vul: Neither ♠ Q 5
last June, we needed to beat the very strong Lynch team ♥Q873
♦A5
in the finals. Our team went down 50 IMPs early on, then ♣ K Q 10 5 3
recovered to win by a landslide. This deal occurred in the West East
♠842 ♠ A K J 10 6 3
set where we pulled back almost all of the deficit, and it
♥65 ♥9
demonstrates that when in doubt, one should bid one ♦KQ764 ♦J32
more. You never know what the consequences might be! ♣AJ4 ♣762
South
♠97
At our teammates’ table, Arnie Fisher (East) and Fred ♥ A K J 10 4 2
Hamilton bid to four hearts after East had made a weak ♦ 10 9 8
♣98
jump overcall of two spades over one club. The defenders
made no mistake: They cashed two spades and shifted to South West North East
a diamond, setting up the defense’s fourth winner before 1♣ 2♠
the clubs could be established. Dbl. 3♦ Dbl.♥ 3♠
4♥ All pass
At my table my partner Dan Morse (East) made a simple
Opening Lead: ♠8
overcall of one spade over a Precision one-diamond
opening, and South made a negative double. I guessed to jump to four spades as a
calculated overbid, in the hope that something good would happen — and it did!
No one had anything more to say, and the defenders tried to cash two heart tricks, letting
Morse ruff, draw trumps, and establish the diamonds to get his two club losers away.
Yes, a club shift at trick two would have defeated the game, but can you blame South for
misreading the position? A club switch might be right if partner discourages at trick one –
but I must admit I too would probably have got this wrong.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: This is a sequence where you
South Holds: would have been happy to bid one heart
♠Q5 over one diamond, but now would be forced
♥Q873 to introduce hearts at the two-level. To make
♦A5 this call you need to have the values
♣ K Q 10 5 3 associated with a reverse (about an ace
more than this hand). That being the case,
South West North East you have to pass now and rely on your
1♣ Pass 1♦ 1♠ partner to reopen with extra values.
?
The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, June 7th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on June 21st, 2012
“Lord Finchley tried to mend the electric light

Himself. It struck him dead: and serve him right!
It is the business of the wealthy man
To give employment to the artisan.”
— Hilaire Belloc
Dealer: West North

The deals this week all come from the trials that allowed Vul: Both ♠83
my team to qualify for the Senior Bowl in Veldhoven last ♥—
♦A6432
fall. We fell behind in the early going, then recovered with ♣ A Q 10 9 4 3
the aid of deals like the following one. West East
♠KJ4 ♠ A 10 9 7 6 5
♥ K 10 9 6 3 2 ♥Q8
At our table, the developments were unremarkable after
♦95 ♦Q8
West dealt and passed. With an awkward hand and ♣65 ♣J82
marginal opening-bid values, I opened my long suit, clubs, South
♠Q2
and a contested auction saw us play five diamonds. My ♥AJ754
partner, Dan Morse, was at the helm, and since East had ♦ K J 10 7
♣K7
shown long spades, he tackled trumps by playing the
diamond ace first, and now had no problem bringing home South West North East
11 tricks. That looked like a normal result, one that was 2♥ 3♣ Pass
likely to be duplicated at the other table if the contract was 3 NT All pass
five of a minor.
Opening Lead: Your choice!
However, the auction was as shown, with South declaring
three no-trump. But look at how the cards lie for declarer: if West leads a heart, there are
nine top winners; and on the lead of a low spade, declarer will come home in his game
because of the spade blockage.
However, cometh the hour, cometh the man. Fred Hamilton on lead selected the spade
king as his opening salvo! When Arnie Fisher encouraged with the 10, Hamilton played
the spade jack to Fisher’s ace, and that let the defenders take the first six tricks.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Whenever the opponents come
South Holds: to a stop at a low level and you have
♠Q2 unexpressed high cards or shape, you
♥AJ754 should consider bidding on. Despite the fact
♦ K J 10 7 that West's sequence suggests length in
♣K7 your suits, you should bid two diamonds. I
can't guarantee that you do have an eight-
South West North East card fit, but it just feels right to bid here.
1♣
1♥ 1 NT Pass Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Friday, June 8th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on June 22nd, 2012
“Lift up a people from the dust,

Trump of their rescue, sound!”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
Dealer: East North

The U.S. Senior Trials were held last summer to select the Vul: Both ♠ J 10 8 7 5 2
two American teams to go to Veldhoven in October. Today ♥4
♦ K Q 10 7
we shall see Peter Weichsel at the helm, rescuing his ♣AK
team. This deal occurred in the last set of a match that West East
♠KQ63 ♠4
went to overtime and that Peter's team dragged out of the
♥9 ♥KQJ7652
fire. So this board was critical. In the other room Peter's ♦J53 ♦864
teammates had defended against four spades. Hemant ♣QJ653 ♣ 10 4
South
Lall had balanced with a three-spade bid over a three- ♠A9
heart pre-empt and had been raised to game. There was ♥ A 10 8 3
♦A92
nothing to the play; declarer lost just two trump tricks and ♣9872
collected 650.
The auction from our featured room was as shown. When 3♥
Weichsel bid three no-trump over three spades, his Pass Pass 3♠ Pass
3 NT All pass
partner, Mark Lair, quite reasonably passed, and Bob
Hamman on lead selected a low club, an incisive shot. Opening Lead: ♣5
Weichsel won in dummy, led a spade to the nine and
queen, won the club return, then tested spades and found the bad news.
Declarer now cashed off four rounds of diamonds ending in dummy and was up to seven
tricks. Since West had a fistful of black-suit winners and was known to have begun with a
singleton heart, what distribution should declarer play for? A singleton heart honor would
have been useless to him, so declarer played a low heart from dummy, and when Bart
Bramley correctly played low, Weichsel put in the 10! That was his ninth trick, and it kept
his side in the hunt.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: The cue-bid of three diamonds is
South Holds: looking for a stopper for no-trump, so you
♠A9 have the choice of bidding three no-trump or
♥ A 10 8 3 bidding hearts at the three- or four-level.
♦A92 Even though a three no-trump bid might
♣9872 indirectly guarantee that your raise was
based on four trumps, it looks simpler just to
South West North East bid four hearts. But a call of three no-trump
1♣ 1♦ 1♥ Pass might work, I suppose.
2♥ Pass 3♦ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, June 9th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on June 23rd, 2012
“The Kings go by with jewelled crowns;

Their horses gleam, their banners shake, their spears are many.”
— John Masefield
Dealer: South North

J. David King, who notched his 10,000th masterpoint in Vul: North- ♠ Q 10 4 3
1993 at the Fall National Tournament, brought home a South ♥AQJ75
♦A73
very difficult contract against Alan and Ellen Siebert here. ♣J
King's partner was Marguerite Holley. West East
♠— ♠J965
Declaring five spades, King ruffed the second round of ♥ K 10 3 ♥8642
♦ K 10 9 6 4 ♦—
clubs and led the spade queen. With this type of layout, it ♣A7652 ♣ K Q 10 8 4
is imperative to lead high from the hand with one honor to South
♠AK872
protect against the very situation that existed here, ♥9
namely all four trumps with East. (West could not hold four ♦QJ852
♣93
spades after his unusual no-trump.) King continued with
the spade10, covered by the jack and won with the king. South West North East
1♠ 2 NT 4♣* 5♣
It is not too common to finesse in a suit where you have 5♠ All pass
no natural loser, but King knew that he was going to have *Splinter in support of spades
to find a way to dispose of all of his diamonds. The
chances were that he was going to run into a 5-0 break. Opening Lead: ♣A
So he took a heart finesse, and next picked up trumps by
leading to the eight and then cashing the ace.
Now came the diamond queen, covered by the king and won with the ace — and sure
enough, West had all the diamonds. King cashed the heart ace, pitching a diamond, and
ruffed a heart, drawing the last nondiamond card from West. Finally, he led a diamond
toward dummy’s seven, and West was helpless. She won with the nine, but then had to
lead away from the 10-6 into the J-8.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Even though you have a
South Holds: minimum hand for the auction, it is
♠ Q 10 4 3 mandatory that you cuebid four diamonds
♥AQJ75 here. It is arguable that you might bypass
♦A73 cuebidding diamonds if you had a minimum
♣J hand with a second-round diamond control,
but here the cuebid of four diamonds does
South West North East not show extras, because it does not take
1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass you past game-level.
3♠ Pass 4♣ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, June 10th, 2012

If you play four-suit transfers, why would you I was watching a game of duplicate bridge
also play transfers at the four-level, and what on the Internet when a player made what
should you use direct three-level actions to looked like an odd decision to me. Holding
mean? ♠ A-4, ♥ Q-10-7-6-5, ♦ Q-5-3, ♣ Q-9-3, he
heard two spades on his left, doubled by his
— System Geek, Janesville, Wis. partner. He bid three hearts and was raised
to game — but I expected that he would
have bid four hearts himself and not left it to
ANSWER: If we have a way to show each of his partner to drive to game. Any comments?
the four suits unambiguously via a transfer, I
suggest all the available three-level actions — Pressure Cooker, Worcester, Mass.
be used to show both minors (three
diamonds is 5-5, three hearts and three
spades show fragments in that major, 5-4 ANSWER: Perhaps the partnership played
one way or the other in the minors), all that with a weak hand (regardless of shape)
game-forcing. they would respond two no-trump to the
double as an artificial admission of
weakness. So in that case maybe the three-
Dear Mr. Wolff: heart bid would show some values, even
though it was nonforcing?
With ♠ A-Q-5-3, ♥ Q-10-2, ♦ A-J-4, ♣ J-5-2, I
assume you would open one club as I did.
After a one-heart overcall and a two-heart Dear Mr. Wolff:
cue-bid, what would you expect your partner
to hold, and what would you do now? If this is not an embarrassing question,
would you comment on what kinds of
— All Points, Houston, Texas mistakes even the best players find
themselves making?
ANSWER: The two-heart call shows club — Golden Slipper, Little Rock, Ark.
support and at least a limit raise. With a
heart stop (however delicate) and a decent
minimum opening bid, the problem is ANSWER: Some errors are caused by
whether to jump to three no-trump to show distraction, others by being impatient and
that extra queen at the risk of pre-empting therefore overlooking clues to the location of
scientific exploration of the hand. I'd risk it, the opponents' cards, both as declarer and
but without the heart 10, I might just bid two defender. Strangely, many say that this fault
no-trump. increases with age, but in my case it has
always been something that I have tried to
wrestle with, and is not necessarily any
Dear Mr. Wolff: worse now than before. A failure to study the
opponents' methods in advance in a long
I want to make myself a more difficult match will often impact your ability to judge
declarer to play against. Do you have any the competitive auctions well — and a lot of
simple tips to make the play harder for my IMPs ride on those decisions.
opponents?
— Getting Tough, Muncie, Ind.
ANSWER: How about this simple one? As

declarer consider following suit with the
second smallest of your small cards and
concealing one small card. When winning
the trick, always win with the highest of
equals, but win with the king from A-K at
trick one in no-trump. These plays should
make it harder for the opponents to read
their partners' length and honor holdings.
“Mankind always sets itself only such problems as it can solve….”

— Karl Marx
Dealer: East North

Sometimes an easy game suddenly develops unexpected Vul: Neither ♠J63
problems. Here you pick up one of your best hands of the ♥ 10 7 2
♦8752
decade, but to compensate for that, your partner has one ♣963
of his worst. His three-club bid showed 0-4 points, and his West East
♠8542 ♠—
three-spade call at his third turn suggested no feature he
♥J6 ♥Q9853
wanted to emphasize. ♦KJ4 ♦ 10 3
♣ Q J 10 4 ♣AK8752
Accordingly, you come to a stop in four spades. When South
♠ A K Q 10 9 7
West leads the club queen, you ruff, then cash the spade ♥AK4
ace, getting news of the 4-0 break. ♦AQ96
♣—
With three possible diamond losers you cannot afford to
play ace and another diamond or a 4-0 break onside Pass
would doom you immediately. So you cross to the spade 2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass
jack and finesse the diamond queen, the best safety play 2♠ Pass 3♣* Dbl.
3♦ Pass 3♠ Pass
against a 4-1 diamond break. If the finesse holds, you’d
4♠ All pass
draw trump and play on diamonds for 10 or 11 tricks.
*Second negative.
When the finesse loses, you ruff the next club and play
Opening Lead: ♣Q
the diamond ace, crossing your fingers. When both
opponents follow suit, you can play a third diamond. West wins and plays a third club, but
now you discard the heart four. If the defenders lead a fourth round of clubs, then
dummy’s spade six would still be in place to take care of the ruff, and the hearts would
provide the entry back to hand to draw the rest of the trumps.
If West exits with a heart, you can simply draw trumps and claim the rest.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: On an auction of this sort, you
South Holds: should lead clubs rather than diamonds,
♠962 because your partner has gone out of his
♥983 way to direct the lead. A club lead may
♦KJ653 either cash out the suit for your side, or set
♣Q4 up winners when your partner has a side-
entry in one of the majors.
1♦ 1♠
3♦ 4♠ 5♣ 5♠
All pass
“What a very singularly deep young man this deep young man must be!”
— W.S. Gilbert
Dealer: South North

The 1st World Mind Sports Games included three youth Vul: North- ♠ 10 5 4 2
categories: Under 28, Under 26 and Under 21. The South ♥ 10 6 3
♦ Q J 10 2
International Mind Sports Association was the brainchild ♣A3
of former World Bridge Federation President, Jose West East
♠— ♠J9876
Damiani. The hope is that Mind Sports will form a
♥J875 ♥42
separate Olympic category. ♦K854 ♦A96
♣QJ762 ♣ 10 9 8
In the under-28 category Steven de Donder of Belgium South
♠AKQ3
had to deal with a tiresome trump break in his contract of ♥AKQ9
four spades. West led a diamond to East’s ace. Back ♦73
♣K54
came a heart, taken in hand, and given a reasonable
trump break, 11 tricks seem plain sailing. Even if one South West North East
defender holds four spades to the jack, 10 tricks would 2 NT Pass 3♣ Pass
still be there with the minimum of inconvenience. 3♥ Pass 3 NT Pass
4♠ All pass
But when de Donder cashed the spade ace, the 5-0 break
Opening Lead: ♦4
meant that even game was in danger. However, he
handled it like a veteran: he played a second diamond, won the heart return, then took the
club king and ace, and cashed the diamond queen, discarding his heart nine from hand.
On the diamond jack, which followed, East chose to ruff — and South overruffed. (It
doesn’t help if East discards his last nontrump — a club — because then declarer pitches
his last heart.) In the three-card ending, declarer has a high and low spade and the heart
queen, dummy the spade 10-5 and a heart, and East has the spade J-9-8. De Donder
exited with his heart, and East was forced to ruff, thus leaving himself endplayed in
trumps.
It takes an initial heart lead to defeat four spades.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: It is a little tempting to bid more
South Holds: than two spades here, but your partner's
♠ 10 5 4 2 double, while not in the balancing seat, does
♥ 10 6 3 not necessarily promise a great hand. With a
♦ Q J 10 2 doubleton heart and an opening hand, he
♣A3 should double here, in what has been
referred to as the "pre-balancing" seat. In
South West North East other words, he assumes that his LHO will
1♥ pass two hearts, and balances in
Pass 2♥ Dbl. Pass
expectation of that.
?
“How happy is he born and taught

That serveth not another’s will;
Whose armor is his honest thought
And simple truth his utmost skill.”
— Sir Henry Wotton
Dealer: East North

When the opponents pre-empt and you end up in an Vul: Neither ♠ A 10 9 4
awkward contract, you’ve got to fight back somehow. ♥AQ2
♦ A Q 10 4
Chuck Said (playing with Kathy Ford) found the solution to ♣K4
his problem in this deal from a 1993 pairs game by West East
♠KQJ853 ♠62
playing the cards practically double-dummy.
♥95 ♥J864
♦J9865 ♦K3
Playing matchpoints, West’s choice to pre-empt at the ♣— ♣ Q 10 8 7 6
three-level on a six-card suit may seem wild, but the extra South
♠7
playing strength from the five-card minor makes the ♥ K 10 7 3
choice a reasonable one. Now Said opted for the heart ♦72
♣AJ9532
game after his partner doubled three spades for takeout.
And yes, a bid of three no-trump by North would probably South West North East
have been a better alternative. Pass
Pass 3♠ Dbl. Pass
Declarer found himself in a precarious spot, but he made 4♥ All pass
the most of what he was dealt. When West led the spade
Opening Lead: ♠K
king, Said won the ace in dummy. He cashed the heart
ace and queen, noting the fall of the nine from West. Said suspected trumps were 4-2, so
he turned his attention to clubs, and his suspicion was confirmed when he cashed the club
king and West pitched a spade. Said now played a club to the nine, cashed the club ace
and ruffed a club with dummy’s heart two.
Next came a spade ruff, stripping East of that suit. Said cashed the heart king and threw
East in with a club. The hapless defender had the long trump, so he could cash the trump
jack but then was forced to play away from his diamond king into dummy’s A-Q. Said’s
fine dummy play resulted in plus 450 and a matchpoint tie for a top.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: In a perfect world you would
South Holds: double for takeout and simultaneously bid
♠ A 10 9 4 three no-trump to show a good hand and
♥AQ2 one prepared to hear partner bid spades.
♦ A Q 10 4 Alas, this is not an option today; you have to
♣K4 commit yourself one way or the other, and
bidding three no-trump is far more
South West North East descriptive of what you actually have.
3♥ Pass Pass
?
“I am driven
Into a desperate strait and cannot steer
A middle course.”
— Philip Massinger
Dealer: South North

In today's auction North's three-club call was a second Vul: North- ♠86
negative. It makes sense to use three clubs, not two no- South ♥ 10 9 7 3
♦97542
trump, as the negative, because you don't want to get no- ♣83
trump played the wrong way up. When North showed West East
♠QJ5 ♠93
four-card heart support, South proceeded to the heart
♥8 ♥J542
slam, nevertheless. ♦J863 ♦ K Q 10
♣KQJ95 ♣7642
Put yourself in declarer’s position. You win the club-king South
♠ A K 10 7 4 2
lead with the ace and play a top trump, West following ♥AKQ6
with the heart eight. How would you continue the play? ♦A
♣ A 10
West’s high spot-card is a warning that the trumps may
break 4-1. You should follow with dummy’s heart seven on 2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass
the first round of trumps, clearing the way for a later 2♠ Pass 3♣* Pass
finesse of your heart six. When you play a second high 3♥ Pass 4♥ Pass
6♥ All pass
trump, West does indeed show out. You follow with
dummy’s heart nine, unblocking once more. *Second negative
Opening Lead: ♣K
It is time to develop the spade suit. You play the spade
ace and king, and lead a third spade, West producing the queen of the suit. There is no
point in ruffing in dummy, because East would overruff and return a club. Instead, you
throw dummy’s remaining club.
You win the diamond switch with your ace and lead the club10, which you ruff with the
heart 10. This ruffing unblock is your third such move in the trump suit. Now comes the
reward for your foresight. You lead the heart three and finesse the heart six. It remains
only to draw East’s last trump and claim the contract.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Without the intervention you
South Holds: would have bid one heart (an action you
♠93 would still take if you had five hearts, or a
♥J542 slightly better hand, or even a chunky four-
♦ K Q 10 card suit). But here you have minimum
♣7642 values with a bad suit. You are better off
passing and doubling one spade for takeout
South West North East when the auction comes back to you. If the
1♣ Dbl. opponents bid a red suit, you can balance
?
with one no-trump.
“A little credulity helps one on through life very smoothly.”

— Elizabeth Gaskell
Dealer: West North

In four spades declarer made the natural play of covering Vul: Both ♠962
West's heart king with the ace, hoping against hope that ♥A983
♦A7653
East would follow, or at the very least that he would be ♣7
ruffing with a natural trump trick. East trumped the trick West East
♠J5 ♠ Q 10 7
and returned a spade — nice defense. Declarer played
♥ K Q J 10 7 5 2 ♥—
the club ace and ruffed a club, took the diamond ace, ♦82 ♦ Q J 10 9
came to the diamond king and led a third club. ♣J8 ♣ K Q 10 6 4 2
South
♠AK843
After much thought West pitched a heart, and declarer ♥64
ruffed in dummy. But now he could not avoid losing a ♦K4
♣A953
further heart, a club, and a trump promotion. Had West
ruffed in on the third club and cashed his heart, declarer South West North East
could not have been stopped from ruffing the fourth club in 3♥ Pass Pass
dummy and losing no more tricks. 3♠ Pass 4♠ All pass
For those of you interested in the art of squeeze-play, it is Opening Lead: ♥K

worth noting that declarer could have made his contract
had he read the position perfectly. Imagine that you duck the first trick, then put up the
heart ace when the defense leads a second heart. The best East can do is ruff and return
a spade, and you draw two rounds of trump, then find the master play of ducking a club.
You can now arrange to ruff a club in dummy and run your trumps. In the ending, East
gets squeezed in the minors.
Even if East returns a diamond at trick three, declarer can win in dummy, set about the
minor-suit crossruff, and come home with 10 tricks.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: This hand is just good enough to
South Holds: re-open with a double and convert your
♠AK843 partner's response in hearts to spades. In
♥64 direct seat this sequence shows 17 HCP or
♦K4 more, but since all actions in balancing seat
♣A953 start about a king lower, this hand is a sound
minimum for the sequence. With a less well-
South West North East put-together hand — the doubleton diamond
1♦ Pass Pass Q-J instead of the king, say — you might bid
?
one spade instead.
“Yet half I seemed to recognize some trick

Of mischief happened to me.”
— Robert Browning
Dealer: South North

Michael Gromoeller and Andreas Kirmse, a pair who play Vul: Neither ♠ K J 5
on Germany's Open team, have established a formidable ♥ 10 4 2
♦KJ9
reputation. A double duck demonstrated their prowess in ♣Q653
today's deal at the 1st World Mind Sports Games. West East
♠ Q 10 ♠873
Against three spades West led the club ace, then ♥A9865 ♥J3
♦76432 ♦AQ85
switched to the diamond deuce, which showed an odd ♣A ♣ J 10 9 4
number. On winning with the queen and noting the fall of South
♠A9642
the 10 from South, Kirmse played back the club nine — ♥KQ7
his lowest club because he expected to win his diamond ♦ 10
♣K872
ace and give his partner a second ruff. However, West
ruffed, then returned the trump queen instead of playing a South West North East
second diamond. He knew that if South did hold a second 1♠ Pass 2♠ Pass
diamond, the contract would fail, so there was no urgency Pass 2 NT* 3♠ All pass
in that department. *Two-suiter
Declarer drew the rest of the trumps, then advanced Opening Lead: ♣A
dummy’s diamond king, on which Kirmse impassively
played low (realizing declarer had to be void now). Deciding that it was West who held the
diamond ace, declarer ruffed, then crossed to dummy in clubs to play a heart to the king.
which, in turn, Gromoeller also ducked. Being devoid of further entries to dummy, and
knowing the distribution — and the location of the red aces — South continued with the
heart seven, expecting that East would be forced to win with the ace. But East’s singleton
honor was the jack, and his club return meant that South’s contract had to fail.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: In this auction, a rebid of two no-
South Holds: trump suggests a quasi-balanced hand with
♠A9642 12-14 points and is probably the least lie.
♥KQ7 Even if you play two-over-one game-forcing,
♦ 10 I draw the line at bidding three clubs with a
♣K872 minimum hand and a poor four-card minor. I
feel that that call should show either extras
South West North East or a fifth club. Repeating spades on a poor
1♠ Pass 2♦ Pass five-carder is also unattractive.
?
by Bobby Wolff on July 1st, 2012
ANSWER: These days the likelihood that

your partner might have only a five-card
Dear Mr. Wolff: diamond suit is far from negligible, especially
Holding ♠ A-9-7-4-2, ♥ Q-10-2, ♦ K-Q-5-3, if the vulnerability might encourage such
♣ J, I assume you would overcall one spade aggression. Given your possible tricks in the
over one diamond. When the next hand majors, it looks logical just to raise to three
doubles and your partner bids two clubs, diamonds and let the opponents sort it out
what would you do next? from there.
— Advancing Arthur, Saint John's,
Newfoundland Dear Mr. Wolff:
I'd like to try to start teaching bridge at my
ANSWER: Partner's two-club bid is natural, local school. Can you suggest where I could
does not promise great values, and is get teaching tools from?
nonforcing. I'd expect it not to be based on — Learning Curve, Vancouver, Wash.
support for you, so despite your singleton
club, I think you should pass. Just for the
record I'd expect a jump to three clubs to
show clubs and spade support — at least ANSWER: Perhaps you could try contracting
honor-third. A good hand and no support Patty Tucker, at
should start with a redouble. http://www.acbl.org/teachers/schoolBridge.html.
The ACBL has plenty of teaching materials it
will let you have. I urge any prospective
teacher to check out what is freely available.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
In the following uncontested auction, we
were a casual partnership with no tight Dear Mr. Wolff:
agreements. We made the following bids:
one heart – two diamonds – three diamonds Say you are deal yourself: ♠ A-4, ♥ 7-6-5,
– three hearts – four no-trump. Which suit ♦ Q-5-3, ♣ K-Q-9-3-2 and pass. Now you
should be trump, hearts or diamonds? hear a weak two diamonds to your left.
When this comes back to you, is it right to
— Outside the Box, Glen Ellyn, Ill. reopen, and if so with what call?
— Selling Out, Ketchikan, Alaska.
ANSWER: Hearts, the last-bid suit, is trumps
unless or until opener puts diamonds back in
play. He could do so by bidding four ANSWER: This hand is too good to pass,
diamonds, but only in that way. and you do have the protection that your
partner will not go overboard since you are a
passed hand. Obviously you cannot double
for takeout, so I'd gamble with a call of two
Dear Mr. Wolff: no-trump, which is simply natural and
You hold ♠ Q-7-5-2, ♥ Q-5-3, ♦ Q-9-3-2, ♣ A- suggests a maximum pass. The second
10. After you pass initially and hear a pass choice is a call of three clubs, but that seems
on your left and two diamonds from your even more committal than my preferred
partner, what is the best plan? Does it choice.
depend on the vulnerability and partnership
style?
— Upper Limit, Charleston, S.C.
by Bobby Wolff on July 2nd, 2012
“When people agree with me, I always feel that I must be wrong.”
— Oscar Wilde
Dealer: East North

At the top level of bridge, partnership agreement about Vul: Neither ♠763
signals and discards is as important as agreements in ♥AJ75
♦J64
bidding. ♣ 10 9 2
West East
Today’s deal comes from a recent European ♠ A Q 10 4 ♠J95
♥632 ♥ 10 9 8
championship match between Romania and Italy, the
♦ 10 ♦Q975
eventual winners. ♣K7543 ♣J86
South
At both tables West led a low club against three no-trump. ♠K82
♥KQ4
When the Italians were defending, the Romanian declarer ♦AK832
won the club queen at trick one, cashed the diamond ace, ♣AQ
and played a diamond toward dummy’s jack. Nunes
(West) discarded the heart six and Fantoni wasted no time Pass
in switching to the spade nine, ensuring that the 2 NT Pass 3 NT All pass
defenders took four tricks in that suit.
Opening Lead: ♣4
In my view it should have been easier for the Romanians
at the other table. Here Lorenzo Lauria, declarer for Italy, won the club queen, cashed the
diamond ace and then crossed to dummy’s heart jack to run the diamond jack.
This told everybody that declarer had four heart tricks, and West could surely tell that he
had at least three diamond tricks (given his play) and two clubs. So, West should have
discarded a club, suggesting to East that he try something else. As it was, West discarded
a heart, and East continued clubs when on lead with the diamonds. As far as he was
concerned, West could have held both black aces instead of his actual holding. Now it
would have been necessary to clear the clubs before putting West in with the spade ace
to cash his club winners.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Although you have a decent club
South Holds: sequence, you must lead a heart if you want
♠2 to have any chance to beat this game. You
♥AJ92 must either set up or cash hearts at once,
♦742 and realistically a small heart is your best
♣ J 10 9 7 6 bet to do that. If dummy has the heart king,
declarer may duck, and if your partner has
South West North East that card, you may be able to cash three
1♦ Pass 1♠ hearts on the go.
Pass 3♠ Pass 4♣
Pass 4♦ Pass 4♠
All pass
by Bobby Wolff on July 3rd, 2012
“The number of those who undergo the fatigue of judging for themselves is very small
indeed.”
— Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Dealer: South North

Today's deal, from a knockout match, featured some Vul: North- ♠853
excellent play and defense, after a well-judged sequence South ♥KJ94
♦83
where North made a slam-try and South drove straight to ♣K853
six hearts. West East
♠ 10 9 6 4 ♠QJ7
Superficially, the slam appears to depend on East holding ♥ 10 2 ♥65
♦ A J 10 ♦97542
either the club queen or the diamond ace (so a spade can ♣ 10 7 6 2 ♣Q94
be discarded from one hand or the other). South
♠AK2
♥AQ873
At one table declarer won the spade lead in hand, cashed ♦KQ6
the heart ace, and played a heart to dummy. He now ♣AJ
played a diamond to his king, which West astutely ducked
in perfect tempo. Convinced that East held the diamond 2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass
ace, declarer crossed back to dummy with a third trump 2 NT Pass 3♣ Pass
and played a second diamond. This time West won and 3♥ Pass 3♠* Pass
6♥ All pass
played the diamond jack to remove dummy’s last trump.
Now declarer could not avoid a spade loser. *Slam-try for hearts
Opening Lead: ♠10

At the other table South used his entries more efficiently.
At trick two he crossed to dummy with a heart and played a diamond immediately. As it
happened, West won and declarer now played successfully for the club finesse. However,
if West had ducked, declarer would have crossed to dummy with a second trump and
played a second diamond. West would have won this and taken a trump out of dummy by
playing a third round of diamonds. But now declarer would have been able to take the club
finesse, cash the club ace, and cross back to dummy with a trump. He would then have
discarded his spade loser on dummy’s club king.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: If you are going to bid, the most
South Holds: attractive call is four hearts. If your partner
♠853 can force you to bid at the three-level with
♥KJ94 nothing, you surely have enough to try
♦83 game. Passing for penalties is almost as
♣K853 attractive. Your club values look more useful
on defense than offense, and where are the
South West North East opponents' tricks going to come from?
1♦ 2♣
Pass 3♣ Dbl. Pass
?
by Bobby Wolff on July 4th, 2012
“Little masters, hat in hand

Let me in your presence stand,
Till your silence solve for me
This your threefold mystery.”
— John Tabb
Dealer: South North

Today's deal comes from a recent English tournament Vul: Neither ♠ J 8 7 2
called the Tollemache — the county teams of eight ♥Q96
♦J2
championships, with one weekend of qualifying and a six- ♣J976
team final. West East
♠Q963 ♠ 10 5 4
♥K52 ♥J3
South was correct to start with two no-trump with his
♦ K 10 4 ♦98765
balanced 21-count, despite the five-card heart suit. One of ♣K54 ♣Q82
the problems with the call is that the partnership may South
♠AK
need to unearth a 5-3 fit (not easy when playing regular ♥ A 10 8 7 4
Stayman). ♦AQ3
♣ A 10 3
To solve the problem, as is not uncommon in the
tournament world, North’s three clubs asked for five-card 2 NT Pass 3♣ Pass
majors, and thus the eight-card fit was found (though it is 3♥ Pass 4♥ All pass
far from clear that four hearts is any better a contract than
three no-trump). Opening Lead: ♥2
With an awkward choice of opening lead, West led a low trump to the jack and ace.
Declarer could see that he would succeed regardless of the position of the diamond king if
the club honors were split, provided he could create two entries to dummy. He could
clearly reach dummy with either the heart queen or nine, but where was the other entry to
come from?
Declarer found the solution when at trick two he led the diamond queen. West had no
counter to this gambit. If he won this trick, declarer could later reach dummy with the jack,
while if he ducked, declarer would be able to ruff his third-round loser in the dummy. Now
he would no longer mind that he had to lose two club tricks.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Although a decent case could be
South Holds: made for redoubling, you will find it almost
♠Q963 impossible to catch the opponents for
♥K52 penalty in both hearts and clubs unless your
♦ K 10 4 partner has length in both suits (in which
♣K54 case spades may play well enough for your
opponents). Simply ignore the opponents
South West North East and bid one spade, which in no way limits
1♦ Dbl. your high cards.
?
The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, June 21st, 2012
“The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything.”
— Edward Phelps
Dealer: South North

In today's deal North's raise to two hearts is the most Vul: East- ♠A842
flexible action with a single spade guard, even though West ♥862
♦ 10 5 4
three no-trump would have been an easier spot as the ♣K62
cards lie. West East
♠KQJ96 ♠ 10 7 3
♥4 ♥ 10 9 7 5
How would you play the heart game when West leads the
♦AJ6 ♦Q73
spade king? ♣ 10 7 5 4 ♣J93
South
Suppose you win with the ace and begin to draw trumps. ♠5
♥AKQJ3
The 4-1 break means you will not be able to set up a 10th ♦K982
trick in diamonds before you have lost control of the hand. ♣AQ8
So after winning the spade lead, you should immediately
lead a low diamond to the nine. 1♥ 1♠ 2♥ Pass
4♥ All pass
West wins with the jack and persists with another spade.
You ruff in hand and play three rounds of trumps, leaving Opening Lead: ♠K
East with the trump 10, and yourself with the jack. You
then cross to dummy with the club king and lead another low diamond, hoping to see an
honor appear from East. East produces a low diamond, but you guess to put in the eight,
which forces West’s ace.
That player forces you to ruff a spade with your last trump (the jack), but when you play
the diamond king, the suit proves to be 3-3. East is welcome to ruff the fourth round of
diamonds with his established trump 10, because he will have no spade to return. So the
game comes home.
The moral is that whenever it may take some time to establish a needed trick in a side
suit, consider playing on the side suit before drawing all the trumps.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: The answer to this question is
South Holds: more about personal style than what is right
♠A842 or wrong. I'd simply raise to three no-trump
♥862 without using Stayman, an action I tend to
♦ 10 5 4 take whenever I have square shape and
♣K62 enough high-card values to suggest that
game should be easy. There are two
South West North East reasons why this may work: It gives away
2 NT Pass less information about declarer's shape, and
? even if we have a spade fit, the suit may not
break.
The Aces on Bridge: Friday, June 22nd, 2012
“Wickedness is always easier than virtue; for it takes the shortcut to everything.”
— Samuel Johnson
Dealer: North North

The German Women's Team won their Round Robin Vul: Both ♠KQ83
group at the 1st World Mind Sports Games. When they ♥—
♦ 10 7 6 3
met the Netherlands, the runners-up in their section, the ♣ K Q J 10 4
contract at both tables was three no-trump. West East
♠9654 ♠J7
♥ 10 6 4 2 ♥AJ98
Both Wests found the only lead to give declarer problems
♦AQ4 ♦J92
— a spade. Both Souths took East’s jack with the ace and ♣A2 ♣9863
continued with a club toward dummy. The West players South
♠ A 10 2
both correctly ducked. This play was not just trying to ♥KQ753
restrict declarer’s communications, but was also hoping ♦K85
♣75
for a suit-preference signsl from partner as to the best
continuation after West won the club ace. The order of South West North East
East’s play in the club suit should help West out. 1♣ Pass
1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass
Declarer has eight tricks, so just needs one more from the 2♦ Pass 3♦ Pass
3 NT All pass
red suits. At one table, after West won the club ace, she
cashed the diamond ace, then led the queen — the right Opening Lead: ♠6
play if East had started with four diamonds to the king
along with either the nine or eight. It was a nice idea, but not in this layout.
At the other table, West continued with a heart to the ace, and back came a diamond.
Declarer ducked, so West cashed the queen, then the ace, but that gave South her ninth
trick.
The only return to defeat declarer is another spade. South wins and plays a heart honor.
East captures this, then puts declarer in dummy with a club. Declarer must cash her black
suit winners, but in the process she will squeeze herself and lose the last three tricks.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: In this auction there are many
South Holds: (including me) who play two hearts as
♠KQ83 natural and invitational, showing five hearts
♥— and an aproximate 10-count. So to cuebid,
♦ 10 7 6 3 you must bid two diamonds now, a call that
♣ K Q J 10 4 simply sets up at least a one-round force
and may help you to reach spades if your
South West North East partner has four of them.
1♦ Dbl. 1♥
?
The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, June 23rd, 2012
“A Foreign Secretary … is always faced with this cruel dilemma. Nothing he can say can
do very much good, and almost anything he may say may do a great deal of harm.”
— Harold MacMillan
Dealer: South North

Against six spades, West leads the heart 10, won with Vul: Both ♠AKQ83
your ace, but on the first trump, East discards a club. Can ♥3
♦A76
you recover? ♣A954
West East
You will have to start by discarding dummy’s diamond ♠ J 10 7 6 2 ♠—
losers on your two spare heart winners. You play the ♥ 10 9 8 5 ♥J764
♦94 ♦ K Q 10 8
diamond ace at trick three, cross to the club king, and ♣J7 ♣ 10 8 6 3 2
cash the club queen. South
♠954
♥AKQ2
You next play the heart king and queen, throwing ♦J532
dummy’s remaining diamonds. When you lead the trump ♣KQ
five, West does best to split his honors, preventing you
from finessing dummy’s eight. You win his trump 10 with 1 NT Pass 2♥ Pass
the queen and ruff the club four with your remaining 2♠ Pass 3♣ Pass
trump, the nine. 4♠ Pass 4 NT Pass
5♦ Pass 6♠ All pass
While dummy’s last four cards are the trump K-8-3 and
Opening Lead: ♥10
club ace, West still has to play to this trick, holding J-7-6
of trumps and a low card in each red suit. He is now on the horns of a dilemma. If he
overruffs with the jack, you will be able to ruff his red-suit return in dummy, draw trump,
and claim the balance. If instead he discards, you will lead a red card and score a ruff with
dummy’s trump three. You can then exit with the club ace, which West ruffs, and score the
K-8 of trumps on his return.
(Incidentally, if East had all five trumps, you would need to find him with exactly 5-3-1-4
pattern. If so, you could cash all the side suits, ruff the fourth club, then exit with the spade
nine to East to endplay him in trumps.)
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: It is easy to get carried away
South Holds: here, but you can imagine partner's hand
♠954 with six solid diamonds and the spade
♥AKQ2 queen, where you would be struggling even
♦J532 in game. For the time being, look for three
♣KQ no-trump first, facing a spade stop. Bid three
clubs, asking partner to support hearts or
South West North East rebid at no-trump with a spade guard.
1♦ Pass
1♥ Pass 2♦ Pass
?
ANSWER: Say you play a high card as third

hand and win the trick. Then, when returning
Dear Mr. Wolff: the suit, lead back a high card from a
I see that the Dutch won the most recent remaining even number of cards, lead low
Bermuda Bowl. How much does home from a remaining three-card holding. And if
advantage matter in the major your high card loses the trick and partner
championships? gets in to play the suit again, follow suit with
exactly the same card from your remaining
— Realtor, Charlottesville, Va. holding that you would have signaled with,
had partner led the suit at trick one.
ANSWER: You'd be surprised at how often
the home team has done better than Dear Mr. Wolff:
expected, so I suppose the answer is that it
gives teams that had a small or medium Holding ♠ A-J, ♥ Q-7-6, ♦ J-9-8-4, ♣ Q-9-8-3,
chance a much better one, and the Dutch I raised one heart to two, and my partner
had already proved they were one of the jumped to four diamonds. What did this
pre-tournament favorites. Having said that, mean and what should I have done next?
as the old saying goes, you can't make a silk — Jumper, Dodge City, Kan.
purse out of a sow's ear.
ANSWER: The jump to four diamonds can

Dear Mr. Wolff: sensibly be played as shortage, typically a
Holding ♠ A-Q-9-4, ♥ K-10-5-2, ♦ Q-5, ♣ K- singleton, with hearts set as trump. If that is
10-2, would you double one club? And would the case, you have a very good hand in
the vulnerability or form of scoring matter, or support of hearts, and you can cuebid four
even the position at the table? spades, letting partner take over from there.
— Entry-Level, San Antonio, Texas
Dear Mr. Wolff:
ANSWER: My general approach is relatively I had an argument with the director at my
sound at the table, but one of the areas that I club when I responded one heart to one
take a more aggressive position than most is club. The next hand bid two spades, over
in doubling with opening values and which my partner huddled and bid three
approximately suitable shape. So with the hearts. When I raised to four with my eight-
example hand I would always double at any count and five hearts, the opponents
position or vulnerability, but I would need a protested that my action was influenced by
suitable holding in both majors. Switch the his tempo, and the director agreed. I argued
red suits and I would pass (or perhaps bid that I had no idea what he was thinking
one spade if the vulnerability or scoring about. What do you say?
made that appropriate). — Mind-Reader, Fayetteville, N.C.
Dear Mr. Wolff: ANSWER: The laws say that when a break
I play a relatively standard method of leading in tempo is agreed, no adjustment should be
and signaling, and I think I understand what made unless two conditions are met. The
to do on opening lead. But when leading and break must point clearly toward taking one
following suit on the second round of a suit, action, and there must be a logical
how should I play with three or four cards left alternative to that action. Here it is NOT
in the suit? clear what the tempo break suggested, as
you said. Your partner could have had too
— Second-Round Blues, Cartersville, Ga. much or too little for his call. Hence, you can
do what you like.
“The dodgerest of the dodgers.”

— Charles Dickens
Dealer: East North

You reach four spades after East has opened one heart. Vul: East- ♠ J 10 6
West leads the heart two. Plan the play — and to make West ♥A5
♦A75
the problem more challenging, cover up the East and ♣ A 10 9 7 5
West cards before making your decision. West East
♠Q43 ♠2
♥J732 ♥ K Q 10 8 4
Today’s deal is all about avoidance. You must duck your
♦9642 ♦ K J 10 8
heart ace at trick one, since you want to cut the ♣63 ♣K42
defenders’ communications. If a diamond comes back, South
♠AK9875
you can put up the queen, and if it loses to the king, you ♥96
will know to take the trump finesse since East must have ♦Q3
♣QJ8
that card to make up his opening bid.
Whether East shifts to a diamond or not, you will be able 1♥
to cash the spade ace and king, play on clubs, and the 1♠ Pass 2♥ Pass
defenders will never score a diamond trick. The point is 3♠ Pass 4♠ All pass
that West will never be able to get on lead in time to play
Opening Lead: ♥2
diamonds through the ace.
However, if you make the mistake of winning the first trick with the heart ace, the best you
can do is to cash your top spades next and take the club finesse. East can win the club
king and then put West in with the heart jack. Now a diamond switch will beat the contract,
since even if you put up the ace and play on clubs, West will be able to ruff in. He can
then cash his side’s diamond trick before you have been able to establish a discard for
yourself.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Leading a heart seems like a
South Holds: hugely committal position. While a club
♠973 might be right, your partner's silence in the
♥AJ75 auction suggests he may well have diamond
♦ 10 7 3 length. If so, a passive defense may be best,
♣J93 and that involves a trump lead — which is
unlikely to do much for declarer that he
South West North East cannot do himself. Accordingly, I'd lead a low
Pass 1♦ Pass 1♠ spade.
Pass 2♣ Pass 2♠
All pass
“A dwarf standing on the shoulders of a giant may see farther than the giant himself.”
— Robert Burton
Dealer: South North

The North hand is somewhat difficult to judge when South Vul: North- ♠732
has shown a very strong hand with hearts. The second- South ♥98754
♦K75
round diamond control does not look valuable, so maybe ♣72
signing off at every turn is a reasonable approach. West East
♠ K 10 6 ♠J984
♥— ♥3
As South, you of course do not know about the wasted
♦ A J 10 8 6 4 3 ♦Q92
high cards opposite. When you bid slam, you’d better ♣ 10 9 5 ♣QJ863
make it if you don’t want to hear complaints about your South
♠AQ5
overbidding, and underplaying the hand. What should be ♥ A K Q J 10 6 2
your thoughts when you receive the lead of the club 10? ♦—
♣AK4
The idea here should be to avoid taking the spade finesse
if at all possible. On the given layout your plan should be 2♣ 3♦ Pass Pass
to endplay West when he has no winning exit card. 3♥ Pass 4♥ Pass
4♠ Pass 5♥ Pass
After winning the first trick with the club ace, you cross to 6♥ All pass
dummy with the trump nine and ruff the diamond five high.
Opening Lead: ♣10
Next you cash the club king and ruff the club four,
eliminating that suit. You proceed to ruff dummy’s diamond seven high, which allows you
to return to dummy by leading the trump six to dummy’s eight. Now comes the key play —
you will lead the diamond king and discard the spade five from hand.
After West wins this trick with the ace, he has no good return. A spade exit will run to your
ace-queen while a fourth round of diamonds will see you ruff in dummy and discard the
spade queen from hand. Either way, you make 12 tricks.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your five-card trump support and
South Holds: outside king make your hand just worth a
♠732 raise to three hearts, which does not
♥98754 promise all that much. With the same hand
♦K75 but a queen and a jack instead of a king, you
♣72 might bid four hearts. That call would in
essence show a double negative but with
South West North East trump support.
2♣ Pass
2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass
?
“And let me tell you, reading about one's failings in the daily papers is one of the privileges
of high office in this free country of ours.”
— Nelson Rockefeller
Dealer: South North

At matchpoints, once a major-suit fit has been found, it is Vul: North- ♠A32
hardly ever right to change directions and head toward a South ♥A2
♦ 10 7 3
minor suit or no-trump. But at the slam level, however, it ♣AKJ87
may pay to abandon a 5-3 major fit in favor of a 4-4 minor, West East
♠J96 ♠Q4
and no-trump could be selected, either for matchpoint
♥ 10 4 ♥9873
reasons or because it may survive a weakness in the ♦KQJ8 ♦9542
major. ♣ Q 10 5 3 ♣962
South
♠ K 10 8 7 5
Both these factors influenced one of my readers, Barton ♥KQJ65
Bloom, in bidding seven no-trump in today’s deal. He was ♦A6
♣4
not using Keycard Blackwood, a convention that allows
you to locate the subsidiary trump honors. He had South West North East
visualized better spades in the dummy and saw little 1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass
advantage in playing spades rather than no-trump. 2♥ Pass 3♠ Pass
4♦ Pass 4♥ Pass
4 NT Pass 5♠ Pass
Unfortunately, the hole in the spade suit meant that any
7 NT All pass
grand slam was virtually hopeless. But Bloom did not give
up. He began by winning the opening lead of the Opening Lead: ♦K
diamond-king with the ace and cashing four heart
winners.
Even though South had begun with only 10 tricks, with an 11th trick to come from a club
finesse, he was able to exert huge pressure on West. When he led the last heart, he could
turn 11 tricks into 13. At the table West threw a club, and now the club finesse brought
home the grand slam. A spade discard would have been equally fatal, and throwing the
diamond queen would have been only a temporary salvation. The diamond 10 would have
put West through the wringer again.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Although there are still a few
South Holds: people who play a cuebid of two diamonds
♠ K 10 8 7 5 as strong and artificial, the most popular
♥KQJ65 treatment of the call is to use it as a
♦A6 Michaels cuebid, showing 5-5 in the majors.
♣4 The minimum strength would be this hand
without the heart king, at any vulnerability, so
South West North East in context you have a decent hand for the
1♦ bid.
?
“Between good sense and good taste there is the same difference as between cause and
effect.”
— Jean de la Bruyere
Dealer: West North

Today's deal comes from the women's event in last year's Vul: East- ♠J65
Scandinavian bridge championships. Against three no- West ♥A42
♦J8
trump Cecilia Rimstedt led her heart queen, ignoring her ♣ A 10 9 8 5
partner's suit and focusing on her own — a very good West East
♠4 ♠ K Q 10 8 3 2
decision today. When her partner had the king and
♥ Q J 10 9 3 ♥K7
unblocked it under declarer's ace, the suit was already set ♦9542 ♦763
up for the defenders. Trine Dahl tried to steal the club trick ♣QJ6 ♣42
South
she needed at trick two by running the club 10. But ♠A97
Rimstedt won the jack and quickly took her tricks for down ♥865
♦ A K Q 10
one. ♣K73
That was 10 IMPs to Sweden when the Swedish pair at South West North East
the other table scored 10 tricks after a spade lead. Pass Pass 2♠
Dbl. Pass 3♣* Pass
Of course declarer should duck the first heart, but let’s 3 NT All pass
come back to the deal and compare the line followed by * Promising values
Pekka Viitasalo of Finland. Against him the heart queen
Opening Lead: ♥Q
was led, and he ducked the trick. East unblocked the king
to win the trick and continue the attack on hearts. Pekka won the second heart with the
ace, played a diamond to the ace, and led a low club toward dummy, intending to finesse
if West followed low. When West inserted the jack, he called for the ace from dummy, then
cashed his diamonds and the spade ace. Now he exited with a small heart to West, who
could cash his two heart winners but then had to lead into declarer’s club tenace and
concede the ninth trick.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Bid three hearts to suggest a
South Holds: hand at the low end of your response range
♠4 with a heart suit prepared to play in that
♥ Q J 10 9 3 strain facing a doubleton. Your hand rates to
♦9542 be useless to your partner at no-trump
♣QJ6 unless you can establish hearts, but it is
worth about four tricks if hearts are trump.
1♠ Pass
1 NT Pass 2 NT Pass
?
“The opinion of the strongest is always the best.”

— Jean de La Fontaine
Dealer: South North

When North chose a negative double after West's Vul: East- ♠62
overcall, you had far too much playing strength to rebid at West ♥AK54
♦A954
the two-level. Your leap to four hearts may have been an ♣A82
overbid – it was certainly all North needed to commit to a West East
♠ Q 10 8 7 ♠J3
small slam. West leads the club king, taken by dummy's
♥— ♥9732
ace. How do you plan to make 12 tricks? ♦ K 10 7 ♦J8632
♣KQJ754 ♣ 10 3
You should try to set up and enjoy your spade suit, as it South
♠AK954
needs little more than breaking no worse than 4-2. ♥ Q J 10 8 6
However, in some layouts a little care is required. ♦Q
♣96
In today’s layout, if your first move in trumps is to play
dummy’s ace, you will go down! Instead, you should 1♠ 2♣ Dbl. Pass
tackle spades immediately by playing the ace and king 4♥ Pass 6♥ All pass
then ruffing a spade high once West follows with a third
spade. Next, return to hand with a trump to the 10 Opening Lead: ♣K
(discovering the 4-0 break) and ruff a second spade high.
Then you will play the trump five and cover East’s card as cheaply as possible. You can
now draw East’s remaining trumps and claim the contract losing just one club trick.
This plan would also succeed if spades were 3-3. After ruffing one spade, you could draw
trumps and claim 12 tricks via four spades, a spade ruff, five trumps, a diamond and a
club.
As you can see, you need both the ace and king of trumps for ruffing purposes. If you
waste one of those at trick two, there would be no way to recover.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your action here may depend on
South Holds: the vulnerability — just as you'd be more
♠62 cautious facing a two-spade opening if the
♥AK54 pre-empt were in first seat nonvulnerable
♦A954 (when I would guess to pass) or second seat
♣A82 vulnerable, when I might go all the way to
game. With quick tricks, but no trump spots,
South West North East I would pass, expecting game to be poor,
1♥ 2♠ Pass facing a nonvulnerable preempt.
?
“I have come to the conclusion that one useless man is called a disgrace, that two are
called a law firm, and that three or more become a congress.”
— Peter Stone
Dealer: South North

Today we get three variations on a five-diamond contract Vul: North- ♠ 10 9 8 7 5
from the Scandinavian championships. South ♥A975
♦J
♣987
Against Runi Mouritzen and, in the other room, Artur West East
Malinowski, both Wests cashed the club ace and ♠Q42 ♠K63
continued the suit. South ruffed, ran the heart jack to East, ♥ 10 6 2 ♥K843
♦854 ♦7
and got a trump return — best defense. Both declarers ♣ A 10 6 2 ♣KQJ54
ran their seven trumps, and now the defense could South
♠AJ
choose who would guard clubs. Against Mouritzen both ♥QJ
defenders did, forcing West to keep the heart 10 guarded ♦ A K Q 10 9 6 3 2
♣3
(or declarer could overtake the heart queen). So West
pitched all his spades, letting Mouritzen overtake the heart South West North East
jack and finesse in spades successfully. 2♣ Pass 2♥* 3♣
3♦ Pass 3♠ Pass
Against Malinowski West kept the bare spade queen and 5♦ All pass
the doubleton heart 10, and declarer came down to one * One ace or two kings
spade, one club and the heart ace in dummy. He led a
Opening Lead: ♦4
heart to the ace and East was squeezed in the black suits.
Well done, both declarers; but Frederic Wrang had an even tougher task, since he
received a low trump lead, won in dummy. Next came a spade to the jack and queen.
West now cashed the club ace and continued with a low club (a heart shift would have
been fatal).
Wrang ruffed the club return and ran all his trumps, coming down to the spade ace and
two heart honors in hand and the 10-9 of spades and the bare heart ace in dummy. East
had to bare one of his kings, and Wrang could cash the ace of that suit and cross to the
other hand to take tricks 12 and 13: a true criss-cross squeeze.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: The one-spade call is forcing
South Holds: (fourth suit by responder sets up at least a
♠K63 one-round force) and it should focus your
♥K843 attention on stoppers in the fourth suit. But it
♦7 is much more descriptive for you to rebid
♣KQJ54 your long suit here. Your hand is at least
initially all about clubs, and you can always
South West North East bid no-trump later.
1♣ Pass 1♦ Pass
1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, July 1st, 2012
ANSWER: The no-show gets no points, the

other innocent team gets the better of 60
Dear Mr. Wolff: percent and the average of its other
How do I decide whether to signal attitude, matches, unless the no-show team has an
count or suit preference at the first trick? average of LESS than 40 percent of the
available points. In that case you might
— Primary Colors, Lakeland, Fla. award the innocents the complements of that
number. So if the no-shows average 20
percent, you'd give the innocents 80 percent
ANSWER: Let's start with basics. Signal — which is what everyone else was getting
attitude, attitude, attitude. If your attitude is when they played them.
known to partner by what happens on the
trick, signal count. Unless a continuation of
the suit led makes no sense at all, suit Dear Mr. Wolff:
preference only applies on subsequent plays
in the suit led. That's an oversimplification of Would you open the bidding with ♠ Q, ♥ K-
course, but not far from the truth. 10-6-2, ♦ A-Q-7-2, ♣ J-4-3-2, and if so, what
would your planned rebid be?
— Dog's Dinner, Macon, Ga.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
What are the minimum requirements for a
splinter facing a one-heart opening? With ANSWER: I've often said I open almost all
♠ K-7-4, ♥ K-10-6-2, ♦ 7, ♣ K-J-4-3-2, would 12-counts but this hand is the exception.
you jump to four diamonds, or four hearts — With no perfect rebid and a spade queen not
or would you treat the hand as a limit raise pulling its full weight, I'd pass and hope to
and bid three hearts? double spades to find my way in. If I did
open, I'd bid one diamond and rebid one no-
— Feeling Jumpy, Montreal trump, not two clubs — which in a perfect
world ought to show at least a 5-4 pattern.
ANSWER: I don't like the limit raise. Partner
will never know when it is right to pass. I Dear Mr. Wolff:
guess a splinter is acceptable, but there is a
better if somewhat complex solution. Use the I thought that if the opponents hold five
"one-over" double jump to show an trump cards, they may split 0-5, 5-0, 1-4, 4-
unspecified limited splinter with 9-12 HCP — 1, 2-3, 3-2 — six possibilities in all. So,
here, three spades over one heart, three no- combining chances, the probability that one
trump over one spade. Partner can ask, or hand holds one card in the suit is one-third
sign off in game. Other, specific, splinters (4-1 or 1-4). Yet in today's column you state
show 12-15. that the chance of a 4-1 split is one-fourth.
What am I missing here?
— William Wallace, Brandon, Miss.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
We have a seven-pair "marathon" club
event, playing one round a month. Last ANSWER: Not all chances are equally likely,
month there was a team that did not appear and the percentages can be calculated using
for a match, a default for sure. We need to the rule of vacant spaces, based on the idea
figure out how to score this win so that it will that each player has 13 cards. Each
be fair to all of the players. defender has 13 "empty" spaces in his hand.
So a 1-1 split happens 13 times in 25 (after
— AWOL, Houston, Texas the allocation of the first card, the other
player has 13 spaces, the first player 12).
You build up from there to get the chances of
a 2-1 and 3-0 break, and so on. That is
where the 25 percent chance of the 4-1
break comes from.
The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, July 10th, 2012
“The world abounds with laws and teems with crimes.”

— Anonymous
Dealer: North North

This month on Tuesdays I shall be running deals from a Vul: Neither ♠ 8 3
new book, by Robert Ewen and Jeff Rubens, editor of the ♥75
♦8
Bridge World, the monthly publication that is generally ♣ K Q 10 6 5 4 3 2
acknowledged to be the world's most interesting bridge West East
♠972 ♠54
magazine.
♥63 ♥ J 10 9 8 4 2
♦AKJ6542 ♦ 10 9
The new book is called “It’s All in the Game,” a mixture of ♣J ♣A98
humorous and informative deals, together with a fair South
♠ A K Q J 10 6
selection of mind-bending problems. Quite a few of the ♥AKQ
latter demonstrate that bridge and reality have only a ♦Q73
♣7
small overlap. I can guarantee that all my readers will find
something to enjoy. South West North East
4♣ Pass
Here is Ewen at work as South in a chapter mischievously 4♠ All pass
trying to prove that one can take certain dictums at bridge
too far — such as “second hand low.” Against four spades Opening Lead: ♣J
West stumbled upon a club lead; East topped the king
with the ace and shifted to a trump. Ewen won and led out the three top hearts. “Second
hand low!” chortled West, as he carefully ruffed with the lower of his two remaining
trumps, the seven. Declarer would have made the contract had West discarded (he would
pitch a diamond from dummy and score his 10th trick with a diamond ruff), or if had he
ruffed with the spade nine (he would then use the spade eight as an entry to run the
clubs), but West’s actual play left him without recourse.
Ewen overruffed and led the club queen for a diamond discard, but West ruffed, then
cashed the two top diamonds for a one-trick set.
Check out The Bridge World on the net for details about the book.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: When the opponents pre-empt in
South Holds: this sequence, they leave your side short of
♠54 descriptive actions. A double here shows a
♥ J 10 9 8 4 2 good hand and is optional. In fact, it may be
♦ 10 9 closer to takeout than penalties in the
♣A98 modern style, so you should simply bid three
hearts. A rebid of three clubs would show
South West North East weakness, but would not get the extra heart
1♣ Pass length across.
1♥ 2♠ Dbl. Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Monday, July 2nd, 2012
“Nothing to breathe but air,

Quick as a flash ’tis gone;
Nowhere to fall but off,
Nowhere to stand but on!”
— Benjamin King
Dealer: East North

The European Championships, which take place every Vul: East- ♠95
year, just wrapped up last week in Dublin. The West ♥ A 10 9 8 7 3
♦ 10 7 4
championships run on an alternate-year cycle, and the ♣87
events that have just finished decided who will get to West East
♠ Q 10 8 4 ♠A763
represent Europe in next year's world championships.
♥J6 ♥KQ42
However, last year's events were open to everyone, and ♦J8 ♦63
players from all over the world participated. ♣Q9432 ♣AJ6
South
♠KJ2
England’s Gunnar Hallberg is a Swedish expatriate who ♥5
has won two world titles since moving 20 years or so ago. ♦AKQ952
♣ K 10 5
He participated in the senior events with a Swedish
partner of his from a few decades ago, Hans Gothe, and South West North East
was full of praise for the defense his partner had 1♣
encountered in today’s deal. 1♦ Pass 1♥ Pass
3 NT All pass
Against Gothe’s contract of three no-trump Wlodzimierz
Opening Lead: ♣3
Ilnicki led the club three, and his partner Stefan Cabaj
smoothly inserted the jack.
When Gothe took the trick, the contract could no longer be made. Declarer had six
diamonds, one club and one heart, but when South crossed to the diamond 10 to lead a
spade toward his king, Cabaj went up with the ace and ran the club suit.
In the other room three no-trump made nine tricks on a spade lead. But note that if East
wins the club ace at the first trick and continues with the jack, declarer can duck and
needs simply to guess the spades to make his game.
Of course, in a perfect world South would have ducked the club jack at the first trick –far
easier with all four hands on view!
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your LHO might have jumped to
South Holds: slam with a void, figuring Blackwood would
♠974 not help. or he may simply be gambling, not
♥83 wanting to give anything away to the
♦KJ852 opening leader. Either way, a small-diamond
♣J72 lead looks right. When in doubt, go active
against small slams.
1♥
Pass 2♣ Pass 2♥
Pass 6♥ All pass
The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012
“She looketh as butter would not melt in her mouth.”

— John Heywood
Dealer: North
From the final of the mixed teams at the European open Neither
championships last summer comes today's deal. It Vul: East ♠AK3
♥ A Q 10 5 4
occurred in a match between French and Dutch teams. ♦K9
♣Q53
In one room, playing a system far removed from the West East
♠J987 ♠ 10 5 4
standard strong no-trump and five-card majors, the
♥763 ♥K82
French East opened a very weak no-trump. One no-trump ♦ A 10 5 2 ♦J83
doubled would not have been much fun, but North ended ♣94 ♣AK72
South
up in two hearts. Against that contract Benedicte Cronier ♠Q62
(East) cashed two high clubs and gave Pierre ♥J9
♦Q764
Zimmermann a ruff. He exited with a low diamond, which ♣ J 10 8 6
ran to dummy’s queen. The heart jack went to Cronier’s
king, and she played a fourth round of clubs, allowing South West North East
Zimmermann to ruff. Declarer, Anton Maas, overruffed, Pass
Pass Pass 1♥ Pass
later conceding a diamond for plus 110. 1 NT Pass 3 NT All pass
Catherine D’Ovidio and Philippe Cronier got to game at Opening Lead: ♠7

the other table, on the auction shown. Against that
contract Ton Bakkeren started with a low spade, taken in dummy with the ace. D’Ovidio
innocently played a low club from dummy, and Carla Arnolds erred by playing low. Had
she won the king and continued with a spade, the timing would have been right to defeat
the contract. When she played low, D’Ovidio won and played the heart jack, ducked by
Arnolds. Another heart went to the queen and king. D’Ovidio took the spade switch in
hand and led a diamond. West ducked, and the diamond king held. D’Ovidio had four
hearts, three spades and a trick in each minor for plus 400 and a 7-IMP gain.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You have two reasonably
South Holds: attractive options — one no-trump,
♠Q62 suggesting 6-10, or two clubs, bidding your
♥J9 long suit. The attraction of the first call is that
♦Q764 one is sometimes disappointed with the
♣ J 10 8 6 amount of support one buys on this auction
for the unbid minor. And the no-trump bid
South West North East limits the hand nicely, never a bad idea.
1♦ Dbl. Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, July 4th, 2012
“As one who by some savage stream

A lonely gem surveys,
Astonished, doubly marks it beam
With art’s most polished blaze.”
— Robert Burns
Dealer: West North

This week's deals all come from the European Vul: North- ♠KQ8
Championships last year. Since these were held in South ♥ 10 8 4
♦J8
Poznan, Poland, there was a very strong Polish ♣ 10 9 8 5 2
representation. West East
♠J9765 ♠432
♥J7 ♥KQ963
Lukasz Brede and Wojciech Strzemecki for Team
♦ 10 9 6 ♦Q72
Connector produced an elegant result during the ♣AQ3 ♣74
qualifying rounds of the Teams. South
♠ A 10
♥A52
Strzemecki, West, led the heart jack against three no- ♦AK543
trump. Brede overtook in the hopes that West would play ♣KJ6
him for a six-card suit for his pre-empt and would win the
trick. Cautiously West played low, knowing that East might Pass Pass 2♦*
have cheated on his suit length. Now Brede, seeing his Dbl. Rdbl. 3♣ Pass
own lack of entries, thoughtfully shifted to a spade. 3 NT All pass
Declarer won in hand and advanced the club jack, *Weak in one major
ducked, then the club king, covered by West’s ace for a
Opening Lead: ♥J
second spade back, taking out declarer’s entry to dummy.
West won the third club and now exited with his last heart, which reduced declarer to just
his five diamonds and a losing heart. He could do no better than lead a diamond to
dummy, hoping the queen was with West. Brede took this trick and cashed out the hearts
for three down – and a 5 IMP gain, since three no-trump went one down in the other room.
Just for the record, declarer should have played a diamond to dummy’s jack after the club
jack held the trick. Had he done so, he would have collected four diamonds, three spades
and one trick in each of the other suits, to make his game.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: The jump to four of a major in
South Holds: response to one of that suit should be
♠432 played as weak, but the precise range for
♥KQ963 the call should not be tightly defined. This is
♦Q72 a typical example of a maximum for the call.
♣74 With so much of the hand in hearts, it is
easy to see that it offers next to no defense
South West North East to any contract played by the opponents. So
1♥ Pass it is ideal for this action.
?
The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, July 5th, 2012
“Fish say, they have their stream and pond;

But is there anything beyond?”
— Rupert Brooke
Dealer: South North

In snooker the most valuable balls are the black and pink, Vul: Neither ♠ K 8 4
analogous in bridge to the ace and king, while the minor ♥A74
♦A986
colors, starting with the yellow, are the little fish. ♣ K 10 8
West East
In this deal from the Open Teams in Poznan, Mark Horton ♠ A Q J 10 9 6 ♠532
compared the play to a snooker game, pointing out that ♥ Q 10 8 5 2 ♥KJ93
♦2 ♦KQ75
declarer missed a chance to use his less significant ♣9 ♣74
assets and make his game. South
♠7
♥6
Where he was watching, West led his singleton diamond ♦ J 10 4 3
against five clubs, and declarer lost a spade and two ♣AQJ6532
diamonds. But a closer inspection reveals that declarer
had a winning line if he had made use of all the resources 3♣ 4♣* Dbl. 4♥
at his disposal. 5♣ Pass Pass Dbl.
All pass
The winning line is to take the lead with dummy’s diamond *Both majors
ace and begin eliminating the hearts by cashing the heart
ace and ruffing a heart. A trump to dummy enables South Opening Lead: ♦2
to ruff another heart, and he now plays a spade from his
hand. West must take the ace and can do no better than return a spade, declarer winning
with dummy’s king and pitching a diamond from his own hand. Declarer next draws the
outstanding trump, then plays the spade eight. When East cannot beat it, South simply
discards a diamond, forcing West to win. What can that player do next? All he has left is
spades and hearts. Whichever he leads, declarer ruffs in dummy and discards a diamond
loser from hand.
This was the line followed by Jean-Christophe Quantin to bring home plus 550 in five
clubs doubled.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You have enough values to
South Holds: contest the partscore, but your doubleton
♠532 club makes this very awkward. You surely
♥KJ93 don't have a nine-card fit, and the opponents
♦KQ75 do not have more than eight spades
♣74 between them. I think you should pass on
the grounds that defending two spades may
South West North East be your best score possible, if not your best
1♣ Pass possible result.
1♥ 1♠ Pass 2♠
?
The Aces on Bridge: Friday, July 6th, 2012
“What a woman thinks of women is the test of her nature.”

— George Meredith
Dealer: East North

Despite their natural disappointment at failing to reach the Vul: Both ♠QJ96
final, the French women made no mistake in the play-off ♥ 10
♦KQ
for the bronze. They were in sparkling form, as this little ♣ K 10 9 8 7 4
gem by Veronique Bessis and Catherine D'Ovidio West East
♠AK5 ♠73
illustrates.
♥AQJ9743 ♥K8
♦43 ♦ 10 9 8 7 6 5
One could discuss at length what South should do when ♣3 ♣652
North doubles four hearts for takeout. Admittedly the South
♠ 10 8 4 2
South hand is very balanced and the spade suit bad, but ♥652
with four hearts being stone cold, bidding four spades was ♦AJ2
♣AQJ
certainly the right thing to do in this deal.
Against four spades West led her singleton club, and Pass
declarer won in hand and played three rounds of 1♣ 4♥ Dbl. Pass
diamonds. West ruffed in with the spade five, and declarer 4♠ All pass
discarded dummy’s heart.
Opening Lead: ♣3
Now West played the heart ace, and declarer ruffed in
dummy and played a spade, West winning with the king and exiting with a heart. Declarer
had to ruff, but now if she played a spade, West would win and cash a heart trick, so she
played a club to her ace. West ruffed in yet again, this time with the spade ace, and
played a third heart. As declarer ruffed in dummy, East discarded her remaining club.
Since dummy was down to nothing but clubs, when declarer led one from the board, East
was able to ruff in and defeat the contract.
Incidentally, declarer can get home by playing on clubs after ruffing the first heart. West
ruffs and plays a heart, but declarer ruffs in dummy and plays another club.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Today's deal is tailor-made for a
South Holds: double of two diamonds. This is not penalty
♠QJ96 — virtually no low-level doubles when the
♥ 10 opponents have agreed on a suit should be
♦KQ used for penalties. This one simply shows
♣ K 10 9 8 7 4 the two unbid suits and values. The real
decision will come on the next round if
South West North East partner rebids hearts.
1♦ 1♥ 2♦
?
The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, July 7th, 2012
“Victory comes late,

And is held low to freezing lips
Too rapt with frost
To take it.”
— Emily Dickinson
Dealer: West North

The final deal from last year's European Open Vul: East- ♠KQ93
Championships was played by Vitas Vainikonis in four West ♥AKQ
♦Q72
hearts. Consider it first as a single-dummy problem. You ♣K62
sit South, and no doubt when dummy comes down, you West East
♠— ♠ A 10 8 7 5 4
regret not doubling four diamonds. But you have to make
♥J4 ♥632
the best of the spot you are in. ♦AK9843 ♦ J 10
♣ Q 10 9 8 7 ♣54
The good news is that when the defenders lead three South
♠J62
rounds of diamonds, West has six and East can only ruff ♥ 10 9 8 7 5
in with the heart six, not the jack. You overruff and draw ♦65
♣AJ3
the remaining trumps in two rounds. Now what?
You know that West has six diamonds and two hearts 1♦ Dbl. 2♠
together with very short spades. The auction strongly Pass 3♣ Dbl. Pass
suggests that he has five clubs, given East’s revealing 3♥ 4♦ Pass Pass
4♥ All pass
pre-empt. So East has only two clubs, making the club
finesse unnecessary — if East has the club queen, it is Opening Lead: ♦K
dropping.
Therefore, you cash the club ace and king, then lead a spade to the jack; East must duck
his ace or it falls on empty air. Next you lead a spade to the king, and East must duck a
second time, since if he wins he is immediately endplayed. With only spades left, he will
have to play into the tenace.
But now you exit with a club. When West wins the club queen, he must give you a ruff and
discard with the lead of one minor or the other, and your last spade goes away. Contract
made!
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: It looks natural to bid two hearts
South Holds: now, but bear in mind that your partner
♠J62 should have shape and an opening bid at
♥ 10 9 8 7 5 least. You should instead compete to three
♦65 hearts immediately (only a fractional
♣AJ3 overbid). Your initial pass limited your high
cards, and the fact that you are jumping
South West North East (rather than cue-bidding ) means that your
1♦ partner should work out your hand-type as
Pass 1♠ Dbl. 2♦
shapely rather than based on high cards.
?
The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, July 8th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on July 22nd, 2012

What is the right way to signal on declarer's What should I open in first seat with this
lead? I assume attitude is rarely relevant, but hand: ♠ 10-9, ♥ A-K-9-8-2, ♦ —, ♣ K-Q-9-8-7-
when should one signal at all? 2? What about other 5-6 patterns where you
have length in the minor and a five-card
— Signal Corps, Wichita Falls, Texas major?
— 5-6, Pick Up Sticks, Portland, Ore.
ANSWER: Never signal attitude on
declarer's lead. Partner never needs to be
told declarer is playing a suit he should not ANSWER: I would open one club, planning
have tackled. Only give count if you think to reverse to two hearts over a one-spade
partner needs to know (because his response. My experience with concentrated
subsequent play may depend on how many 5-6 hands is that finding the right trump suit
cards you or declarer have in that suit). by bidding the suits in the correct order is the
Conversely, when following from a selection best way to win out in competitive auctions.
of equivalent cards, where your play in the Give me five hearts and six diamonds and I
suit cannot affect the number of tricks your might go the other way – but that's because
side takes, consider showing suit with touching suits I KNOW I'll have a rebid
preference. problem if I open one diamond.

My wife did not like my action yesterday, If a pair plays transfers and a partner refuses
when I held ♠ K-J-4, ♥ K-10, ♦ A-K-Q-7-2, the transfer and rebids no-trump instead,
♣ 9-4-2. My RHO opened one heart. I does he/she still have to announce
overcalled one no-trump and sat it out after "transfer"? My partner was told that she
being doubled. My LHO had six club winners should not accept a transfer with less than
and I also lost the two major-suit aces for a three-card support. I didn't think there was
disastrous result. She claimed I should have any option other than super support with
overcalled two diamonds or run to two support of four or more cards. Do you
diamonds. agree?
— Shoulda-Woulda, Corpus Christi, Texas — Special Ed, Bella Vista, Ariz.
ANSWER: Oh dear. Much as I hate to ANSWER: Transfers are not optional, since
spread dissension between spouses, I you, as the no-trump opener, can't know
strongly agree with your one-no-trump bid whether partner has five or six in the major,
and suspect that I too would have sat out the but you have passed captaincy by your
double and duplicated your result. Maybe it's opening. Yes, the bid must be announced as
just a guy thing. transfer even if you don't intend to honor it.
Whoever told this player that completing the
transfer shows three cards is both wrong
Dear Mr. Wolff: and apparently convincing — a dangerous
combination!
I understand the next world championships
are going to be in Cardiff, Wales. Will you be
going?
— Anchors Away, Charleston, S.C.
ANSWER: Actually, the event has been

moved at short notice to take place next
month in Lille, France. The playing venues
were not suitable for all the Mind Sports
Games, but Lille housed the 1998 World
Championships and has a large Palace
which will be ideal. I just hope the weather is
better than it was 14 years ago. As of now, I
do not expect to be there.
The Aces on Bridge: Monday, July 9th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on July 23rd, 2012
“No woman can be a beauty without a fortune.”

— George Farquhar
Dealer: South North

In today's deal North's jump to five hearts showed good Vul: Both ♠ 10 9
trumps and nothing else to say — just what South needed ♥AQ75
♦7653
to hear. Declarer was lucky enough to receive a diamond ♣965
lead against his slam, and therefore was in a position West East
♠J8762 ♠3
almost to ensure his contract.
♥43 ♥862
♦ Q J 10 ♦9842
South took the diamond queen lead with his king, drew ♣ Q 10 4 ♣KJ873
trumps in three rounds ending in dummy, then cashed the South
♠AKQ54
ace and king of spades. Bad news: the 5-1 break meant ♥ K J 10 9
that he could no longer take more than 11 tricks. ♦AK
♣A2
If declarer had received a club lead against his contract of
six hearts, playing spades from the top would have been 2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass
fine, since the defenders had established a winner and 2♠ Pass 2 NT Pass
would be in a position to cash it as soon as they obtained 3♥ Pass 5♥ Pass
6♥ All pass
the lead. So declarer would have needed to get the
spades going without losing a trick to make his slam. Opening Lead: ♦Q
(Declarer cannot afford spades to break worse than 4-2 —
unless the jack is singleton — because two club discards are needed in dummy so that
South’s second club can be ruffed.)
But after the diamond lead, once trumps are found to be 3-2, there is a cast-iron play for
the slam. Win the third round of trumps in dummy, then run the spade 10. The spade jack
is the only trick lost. Declarer can win the return, unblock spades, then run spades. Now
dummy’s club losers vanish on the spades, and a club can then be ruffed in dummy.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: On this sort of auction declarer
South Holds: still has not guaranteed real clubs — he
♠ 10 6 might have four hearts in a square hand, for
♥Q62 example. Lead a club as your best chance to
♦Q75 set up a suit for your side. You could guess
♣K9642 by trying a red suit, but it is easier to lead
what is front of your face.
1♣
Pass 1♠ Pass 1 NT
Pass 3 NT All pass
“You pays your money and you takes your choice.”

— Anon
Dealer: South North

After seeing dummy, on the auction shown, would you Vul: North- ♠AK
think your next move might be critical? If not, give the South ♥86532
♦864
problem a couple of extra seconds' thought! ♣K84
West East
The hand is from the Individual at the 1st World Mind ♠8752 ♠64
♥J97 ♥ K Q 10 4
Sports Games, held in Beijing, where Pairs scoring was in
♦QJ97 ♦A53
use. ♣ 10 2 ♣QJ96
South
First, let’s see the action at the table where Gay Keaveney ♠ Q J 10 9 3
♥A
of Ireland was partnering Bob Hamman of the USA. ♦ K 10 2
Hamman had no easy way to get his values across, but ♣A753
decided to treat his hand as invitational, banking on his
three black honors to be working overtime, and treating 1♠ Pass 1 NT Dbl.
his spades as a three-card suit. Had this been teams, 2♣ Pass 3♠ All pass
Keaveney would have bid the spade game, but at
matchpoints he preferred to be circumspect and try to Opening Lead: ♦Q
insure a plus score.
Against three spades West led the diamond queen; East rose with the ace and returned a
diamond. Keaveney played his king, cashed the club ace and king and got off play with a
third club. The trump return from East came too late. South could not now be prevented
from ruffing his fourth club in dummy and coming to 10 tricks, losing just two diamonds
and a club.
It was Patrick Huang of Chinese Taipei who found the defense to beat four spades. On
winning the first trick with the diamond ace, he recognized the danger and switched to a
trump, and continued with a second trump when in with a club. That killed the club ruff and
set the game.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your partner's two-club call
South Holds: shows spade support and at least the values
♠ Q J 10 9 3 for a raise to three spades (perhaps starting
♥A at a good 10-count with three trumps). Your
♦ K 10 2 nice trumps and extra shape coupled with
♣A753 good controls suggest you have enough for
a try for game. A bid of three clubs should
South West North East show your side-suit and get partner to
1♣ evaluate his club length.
1♠ Dbl. 2♣ 2♥
?
“True nobility is exempt from fear:

More can I bear than you dare execute.”
Dealer: West North

Curiously, the way to beat three spades here is by leading Vul: Both ♠873
dummy's short suit. However, although Tom Hanlon and ♥Q82
♦A2
Hugh McGann of Ireland did not find this lead when ♣AK542
representing Europe in the 2008 Buffett Bridge Cup West East
♠ A J 10 ♠95
against the USA, they still found an ingenious way to
♥J53 ♥ A K 10 9 7 6
defeat the partscore. ♦QJ83 ♦ 10 7 5
♣ Q 10 9 ♣J7
Against three spades Hanlon led a low heart to the two South
♠KQ642
and king — McGann couldn’t be certain that South did not ♥4
hold the singleton jack. At trick two, McGann found the ♦K964
♣863
fine switch to a low diamond, which declarer elected to
win in hand. Had he taken with dummy’s ace instead, he South West North East
would have been better placed. Pass 1♣ 2♥
2♠ 3♥ 3♠ All pass
Then came the trump king. If West wins this, then whether
he returns a trump or a diamond, declarer can duck a club Opening Lead: ♥3
and later have two clubs available for diamond discards.
But Hanlon withheld his ace, and now South could not chance playing another trump, as
the defenders could then remove dummy’s trump and knock out the diamond ace before
the clubs were set up.
Declarer therefore continued with three rounds of clubs, East pitching a diamond on the
third. In with the club queen, Hanlon essentially returned a diamond. Since it was still
unsafe to lead another trump, declarer continued with a fourth round of clubs. On this,
McGann, to deter his partner from returning a heart, discarded the heart ace! Hanlon duly
trumped the club and returned a diamond for East to overruff dummy. The trump ace was
the defenders’ fifth trick.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You should use three diamonds,
South Holds: the fourth suit, as a temporizing bid here.
♠KQ642 Rebidding spades would show a sixth spade
♥4 or a much better five-card suit, while bidding
♦K964 three no-trump prevents partner from
♣863 producing secondary support for your
spades. Your plan would be to bid three no-
South West North East trump next if partner repeats his hearts.
1♥ Pass
1♠ Pass 3♣ Pass
?
“One can relish the varied idiocy of human action during a panic to the full, for, while it is a
time of great tragedy, nothing is being lost but money.”
— J.K. Galbraith
Dealer: North North

We have all seen hands where you are declarer in three Vul: North- ♠AKQ
no-trump, and you need to hold up your ace for at least South ♥52
♦AKQJ5
one round to cut the defenders' communications. ♣876
West East
Then there are some more-advanced hands where you ♠ J 10 7 4 3 2 ♠65
have K-J-x and the lead is a small card to the queen. You ♥AK943 ♥J7
♦— ♦ 10 8 7 6 3
may have to duck to sever opponents’ communications ♣93 ♣ A Q 10 4
(when the suit breaks 5-2 and you need to lose the lead to South
♠98
your right-hand opponent). Today’s deal takes that ♥ Q 10 8 6
principle a step further. ♦942
♣KJ52
Against three no-trump doubled, West led the heart four to
the jack and queen. When declarer discovered the bad 1♣* Pass
diamond break, he played a club, but East rose with the 1♦ 1 NT** 2♦ Pass
ace and played a second heart for one down. 2 NT 3♠ 3 NT Dbl.
All pass
Declarer felt that he had been unlucky not only with the *Strong
diamond break, but also that West had not led spades, **Majors or minors
and even that East had a second heart to play. However,
Opening Lead: ♥4
a careful look at the spot-card led at trick one would have
told him East had two hearts. If the heart jack was singleton, then West’s initial holding
would have been A-K-9-7-4-3, from which he would have led the seven.
So hearts are 5-2, East must have the club ace, and diamonds strongly rate to be
breaking badly, given the final double. Declarer should have ducked the heart at trick one.
Now nothing can beat him if he leads a club to the jack after finding the bad diamond
break.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: In a competitive auction like this,
South Holds: your partner would normally raise to two
♠98 hearts with four trumps — if he had them.
♥ Q 10 8 6 But as he has guaranteed three-plus hearts
♦942 by his double, you should nonetheless
♣KJ52 compete to two hearts yourself. You know
you can, if necessary, ruff diamonds in
South West North East dummy, so you should be protected from a
1♦ Dbl. Pass force.
1♥ 2♦ Pass Pass
?
“I would that we were, my beloved, white birds on the foam of the sea:
We tire of the flame of the meteor, before it can pass by and flee….”
— W.B. Yeats
Dealer: West North

Today's deal comes from a collection of bridge tips by Vul: Both ♠J43
David Bird, who is best known for his humorous ♥K4
♦832
collections of stories about the Abbot and many others. ♣K9632
West East
Against your contract of four spades West leads the ♠95 ♠8
diamond ace and switches to the spade five. Plan the ♥AJ873 ♥ Q 10 9 6 5 2
♦AKJ5 ♦ 10 9 4
play, and if you want to cover up the East and West cards ♣J7 ♣ Q 10 8
to make your task harder, feel free to do so! South
♠ A K Q 10 7 6 2
♥—
The obvious source of extra tricks is the clubs, but to ♦Q76
establish additional winners in that suit, you have to ♣A54
surrender a trick. If you simply draw trump and duck a
club, East will win and play a diamond through. You might 1♥ Pass 4♥
try to lead a club to the king and duck the return, but if 4♠ All pass
East flies up with the queen on the second round (or West
unblocks his jack on the first round), the defenders will Opening Lead: ♦K
have the upper hand.
Is there any way that you can establish clubs without letting East on lead? Yes and no.
What you have to do is find a way to get rid of that club loser, while losing the lead to
West, not East. Instead of playing three rounds of clubs, win the spade shift from West in
dummy (while taking care to preserve your spade two in hand), and play the heart king,
pitching a club. Later you will be able to ruff the clubs good without surrendering the lead,
and you can then cross to dummy with the spade four to cash them.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: With your extra side-suit shape
South Holds: and your values concentrated in your long
♠95 suits, you should compete to three hearts.
♥AJ873 You should not bid three diamonds, though
♦AKJ5 — that should be a game-try with
♣J7 approximately this pattern. Change the heart
jack to the heart king or even perhaps the
South West North East queen, and you would have a sound
1♥ 1♠ 2♥ 2♠ minimum for that action.
?

How do you decide between opening a very How do you judge what level to pre-empt to
strong hand at the one-level as opposed to when your partner opens two spades and
opening two clubs and then bidding your the next hand doubles? With nobody
suit? Does your decision depend on whether vulnerable you hold ♠ K-9-8-5-4, ♥ 10-2, ♦ Q-
you have a one- two- or even three-suiter? 7-2, ♣ Q-10-6. Is this a hand where you want
to force the opponents to bid a slam, or do
— Rock-Crusher, Nashville, Tenn. you want to time the auction to keep them
out of slam?
ANSWER: Opening two clubs on marginal — Levelheaded Louis, Elkhart, Ind.
hands with long minors and a second suit
works badly; you pre-empt yourself out of
two levels of the auction and often lose the ANSWER: I'd guess our side will lose six
ability to define of your hand. Equally, true tricks in a spade contract so four spades
three-suiters in the range of 21-23 may be should be high enough for our side as a
best handled by opening a minor. Somebody sacrifice. But can we beat our opponents'
else normally bids! slam? Even facing a hand with no side-
cards, I'd guess we have more than a 50
percent chance of scoring a trick in each
Dear Mr. Wolff: minor or one trick from the minors and a
spade. So bidding four spades will give the
Say you open one club with the following opponents enough rope to hang themselves.
hand: ♠ K-7-3, ♥ K-10-6-2, ♦ Q-7-2, ♣ A-J-4. We may go down 500, but it is still worth the
Your partner responds one spade, and the effort to make the opponents' life harder.
next hand doubles. Should you rebid one no-
trump, raise spades, or pass?
— Options, Bellingham, Wash. Dear Mr. Wolff:
I use Rosenkranz doubles and redoubles
with my partners, these actions showing a
ANSWER: One no-trump is acceptable, but high trump for partner, typically in a two- or
another conventional action that might (by three-card holding. We have never
partnership agreement) be available is to discussed whether it applies when partner
redouble. Some people play this to show makes a simple overcall of a weak two-bid.
three trumps, so a call of one no-trump What are your views on an auction such as a
would deny three trumps. A raise to two two-diamond opening on my left, a two-heart
spades would show four trumps, whatever overcall from partner and a three-diamond
your methods, and passing would be a bid on my right?
balanced or semibalanced hand unsuitable
for a call of one no-trump. — Zen and Now, West Palm Beach, Fla.
Dear Mr. Wolff: ANSWER: I really don't like the double to

mean support for partner. It is more
I will be playing in my first pair game next important to get the unbid suits in, in other
week, having only played rubber bridge and words, values and no clear call. Here a bid
team games till now. Please explain how the of three hearts would buy the hand (the
scoring works. opponents won't bid four diamonds), so
— Tyro-Maniac, Kenosha, Wis. there is no need for a Rosenkranz double,
which is most useful in auctions where you
rate to be defending.
ANSWER: Pairs is all about beating the
other pairs sitting the same way as you,
holding your cards. (The margin by which
you beat them is irrelevant.) Imagine 10
results on a single deal. Nine matchpoints
are available, one fewer than the number of
pairs. Five pairs bid a small slam making
exactly, one makes the grand slam, one
goes down in it, three make the overtrick. As
one of those three pairs, you score a point
for beating the five pairs who made 12 tricks
in slam, and the pair who went down in slam,
and get half a point for each of the pairs who
made 13 tricks in the small slam. So you get
7 matchpoints out of 9.
“And even the ranks of Tuscany

Could scarce forbear to cheer.”
— Lord Macaulay
Dealer: West North

Every year at the beginning of March, the English Bridge Vul: Neither ♠ Q 8 7 6 5
Union runs their ranked master pairs' events. Whatever ♥—
♦A973
your ranking in the EBU's masterpoint scheme, there is a ♣ J 10 5 2
pairs event for you. The highest ranking of these is the West East
♠J932 ♠ A K 10
Grand Masters Pairs. Today's hand is from that event and
♥9875 ♥ Q J 10 6 2
shows that sometimes even the least promising suits can ♦QJ2 ♦ K 10 5
be set up to advantage. ♣96 ♣87
South
♠4
With a singleton spade, South had little choice but to ♥AK43
overcall two clubs rather than doubling, and now North’s ♦864
♣AKQ43
good distribution persuaded him to raise pre-emptively to
the five-level. South West North East
Pass Pass 1♥
Apparently several pairs went down in five clubs after a 2♣ 2♥ 5♣ All pass
diamond lead, failing to see the possibilities in the spade
suit. The correct line of play is to duck the diamond and Opening Lead: ♦Q
win the continuation. Now you must play a trump to hand
and discard the diamond losers on the heart ace and king. But what next? It is important
to see that you need to ruff two hearts and a diamond in the dummy, but do not have the
communications to do so without giving up the lead. When you do this, the opponents will
surely play another trump, and now you will be a trick short.
After discarding your diamonds, you must play a spade and duck it in dummy. Win the
trump return in the dummy, ruff a spade, ruff a heart, and ruff a spade. When the ace and
king come tumbling down, you can ruff another heart and cash your spade winners for 11
tricks.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: The hearts can wait. Your priority
South Holds: here is to lead trumps to prevent declarer
♠ A 10 4 2 from ruffing his spades in dummy. The
♥964 typical dummy will contain a small spade or
♦ 10 7 6 two, and the best defense will consist of
♣Q84 keeping declarer from setting up the spades
successfully. Whenever declarer plays in his
South West North East second suit, you should think about a trump
1♥ 1♠ lead.
2♥ Pass Pass 3♦
All pass
“Come, Watson, come! The game is afoot.”

— Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Dealer: South North

Today's deal is from Robert Ewen and Jeff Rubens' new Vul: East- ♠93
book, "It's all in the game." As I mentioned last week, this West ♥A643
♦94
book melds humorous and instructive deals. Today's is a ♣QJ872
real-life affair, in which a name from the past found a neat West East
♠ 10 2 ♠QJ87
play to recover from his unfortunate opening lead.
♥KJ9752 ♥ Q 10 8
♦K532 ♦ J 10
A trump lead would defeat four spades by force. But when ♣ 10 ♣K653
the club 10 was led, North’s queen was played, and East South
♠AK654
had to duck. South cashed the heart ace and led a ♥—
diamond to the queen and king. Now when South ♦AQ876
♣A94
regained the lead and cashed the diamond ace, the fall of
the J-10 allowed him to bang down the two top trumps: South West North East
making four. 1♠ Pass 1 NT Pass
3♦ Pass 3♠ Pass
At another table, however, Peter Leventritt recovered from 4♠ All pass
his opening lead by smoothly ducking the diamond queen.
Opening Lead: ♣10
Then, when South cashed the diamond ace and East
followed with the jack, South pictured his original holding as K-J-10. When declarer tried
to ruff a low diamond in dummy, East overruffed and gave West a club ruff. West led
another diamond, giving East another overruff of dummy. Finally, a further club from East
promoted a trump winner for the fourth and setting defensive trick.
At IMPs, declarer could have ensured the contract (except against a 5-1 trump split) by
abandoning diamonds temporarily when the jack dropped, and cashing two high spades.
This play, however, could lose the contract if diamonds were 3-3 and spades 5-1. I’ve
seen many deceptive ducks, but never one done in quite this way for quite this reason.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You can pass, playing partner for
South Holds: long hearts in a weak hand, which he has
♠AK654 suggested he holds. Equally, you can bid
♥— two no-trump, two spades or even three
♦AQ876 diamonds, to improve the partscore. If one of
♣A94 your small clubs were a heart, it would be
clear to pass. Even though passing seems
South West North East to me to be the most trusting action, three
1♠ Dbl. Pass 2♣ diamonds may be your best chance to
2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass improve the contract.
?
by Bobby Wolff on August 1st, 2012
“The Government are carrying an immense weight. Untold treasures are in their hands.
They are doing the very best they can. Don't badger them.”
— Abraham Lincoln
Dealer: South North

One of my regular correspondents is Sally Brock from Vul: Both ♠Q72
England, who has been a regular on the national women's ♥865
♦ A 10 7
team for 30 years or so. (She started playing international ♣A975
bridge when in her twenties.) She has now formed a solid West East
♠ 10 5 ♠AK9843
partnership with Nicola Smith, and they spearheaded the
♥K973 ♥ 10 4
women's team that finished fourth in the recent world ♦86532 ♦J
championships, then went on to win second place in the ♣84 ♣KJ32
South
Mind Sports Games in China. ♠J6
♥AQJ2
Here, Sally was declarer in three no-trump on a diamond ♦KQ94
♣ Q 10 6
lead to the jack and king. Back came a diamond to
dummy’s ace, East pitching a middle spade. Brock took South West North East
the heart finesse next, as the 10 appeared from East. The 1 NT Pass 3 NT All pass
heart was won by West for a club switch. East won this
Opening Lead: ♦3
with king, Sally following with her small card instinctively,
then realizing she had forgotten to unblock her 10 —
which would have made her task of endplaying East to lead another club much easier.
Declarer still managed to recover by playing East for both high spades. She cashed all of
her red-suit winners, discarding a club from dummy. If East came down to two spades and
three clubs, South would build a heart trick. If she came down to two clubs and three
spades, Brock would take her two club winners ending in dummy and lead a spade toward
her jack, collecting one more trick one way or another.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Once you bid one no-trump to
South Holds: show 6-10 points, denying a major, your
♠Q72 partner won't play you for the earth whatever
♥865 you do. Here you should double. This is
♦ A 10 7 NOT penalties — how could it be? It shows
♣A975 a maximum hand and suitability for defense.

1♦ Pass
1 NT 2♥ Pass Pass
?
by Bobby Wolff on August 2nd, 2012
“Anybody can be good in the country.”

— Oscar Wilde
Dealer: South North

Before we look at the contract of six hearts, a word on the Vul: East- ♠K63
auction. If you play two-over-one game-forcing (meaning West ♥AQ3
♦ 10 9 5
that a two-level response in an uncontested auction sets ♣AQJ7
up a sequence that cannot die below game), then North's West East
♠ J 10 8 5 ♠Q942
jump to three hearts shows good trump support and slam
♥ K 10 7 5 ♥2
interest. ♦76 ♦QJ32
♣ 10 6 4 ♣9532
South has minimum trump support but excellent side-suit South
♠A7
controls. When he shows his spade and diamond cards, ♥J9864
North takes control and uses Blackwood to bid six hearts. ♦AK84
♣K8
When the spade jack is led, South should see at once that
he has no losers in the side suits and should therefore 1♥ Pass 2♣ Pass
focus his attention on holding his trump losers to one. The 2♦ Pass 3♥ Pass
natural thing to do is to win the spade lead in hand and 3♠ Pass 4♣ Pass
4♦ Pass 4 NT Pass
play a heart to dummy’s queen. If it loses, South will
regain the lead and then play the heart ace — ready to
finesse against East if he turns up with four trumps, and Opening Lead: ♠J
losing only to a singleton king with East.
What if the trump finesse holds? It would be easy (but fatal today) to cash the heart ace
next. Instead, declarer must make the somewhat unnatural move of coming back to hand
with a club to lead the heart nine. If West follows with a small trump, declarer must duck in
dummy. This will sometimes lose a trick unnecessarily to East’s 10, but giving up on an
overtrick to secure the slam is a price worth paying.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: However risky your initial
South Holds: response to one heart was, your partner has
♠Q942 set up a game-force. Passing now would be
♥2 a breach of discipline even though it might
♦QJ32 work. Your best chance to put the brakes on
♣9532 is to bid three no-trump. You may not make
it, but at least you won't tempt partner to
South West North East flights of fancy. Raising clubs might see him
1♥ Pass reaching for the sky.
1♠ Pass 3♣ Pass
?
by Bobby Wolff on August 3rd, 2012
“The secret which the mountains kept

The river never told.”
— John Greenleaf Whittier
Dealer: South North

Today's deal saw North produce an old-fashioned strong Vul: Both ♠A7653
jump shift on a spade suit that would normally be ♥A8
♦AQ42
regarded as subminimum, but he wanted to support ♣AK
diamonds next and get across the strength of his hand. West East
♠ 10 8 4 ♠QJ2
The results were entirely satisfactory as regards the
♥ 10 9 7 3 2 ♥J4
auction, since eventually South took control, finding out ♦8 ♦ 10 9 7 5
about the missing aces and trump queen. He could now ♣J852 ♣7643
South
bid seven diamonds with some confidence. ♠K9
♥KQ65
Alas for him, his play did not measure up. When the bad ♦KJ63
♣ Q 10 9
trump break came to light, he played to ruff a heart in
dummy, but East could overruff. As Whitier said, “Of all South West North East
sad words … the saddest are these, ‘It might have been.'” 1♦ Pass 2♠ Pass
What declarer should have done on a club lead is to cash 2 NT Pass 3♦ Pass
3 NT Pass 4♣ Pass
dummy’s two high trumps, then take the second top club 4♦ Pass 4♥ Pass
and the heart ace, come to hand with the spade king, 4 NT Pass 5♣ Pass
cash the club queen to pitch dummy’s small heart, and ruff 5♦ Pass 6♣* Pass
7♦ All pass
a heart in dummy. Now he can draw the last two trumps,
and his hand is high. *Showing the trump queen and club
king
This line of play will go down only if the clubs break 6-2, Opening Lead: ♥10
while the unsuccessful line goes down when hearts are 5-
2, a far more likely eventuality. (For those of you interested in the percentages, a 5-2
break comes up almost one time in three, a 6-2 break one time in six.)
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: This hand has the values for a
South Holds: jump to two no-trump, which is natural and
♠K9 encouraging, but not forcing. If you decide
♥KQ63 you want to play game facing anything but a
♦KJ65 rank minimum overcall, you can cuebid, then
♣Q92 bid two no-trump, which is all but forcing. I'd
make that call with the club 10 instead of the
South West North East two.
1♣ 1♠ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, July 21st, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on August 4th, 2012
“To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive, and the true success is to labor.”
— Robert Louis Stevenson
Dealer: West North

At the 13th European Maccabi Games in Vienna, Heinrich Vul: Both ♠ 10 4
Berger made a nice play to bring home his spade game. ♥KJ832
♦K4
Berger, for decades one of Europe's leading bridge ♣ A Q 10 6
players, is representing the host country, Austria, but West East
♠J2 ♠9765
nowadays lives in Berlin, Germany.
♥ A 10 7 6 ♥54
♦ Q 10 9 5 2 ♦AJ83
Today’s deal was played in a match between Austria and ♣72 ♣J43
Hungary. In theory, only four hearts played by North South
♠AKQ83
makes: On a black-suit lead declarer cashes his three top ♥Q9
spades and West has to surrender. ♦76
♣K985
However, Berger played in four spades. The defense
started with two rounds of diamonds and continued the Pass 1♥ Pass
suit. Berger ruffed in his hand, cashed a top spade, then 2♣ Pass 2♥ Pass
played a heart. West flew up with the ace and returned the 2♠* Pass 3♣ Pass
3♥ Pass 3♠ Pass
spade jack. Declarer won, played three rounds of clubs,
4♠ All pass
then cashed the heart king and jack.
*Longer spades than clubs (canape)
On that trick East and South pitched a diamond and a
Opening Lead: ♦10
club respectively. When, at the penultimate trick, North led
a heart, East’s 9-7 of trumps were swallowed up by declarer’s Q-8. So in fact Berger had
executed a Grand Coup for his contract, and since the hand was played in Vienna, one
could with only the minimum of latitude describe the play as a special version of the
Vienna Coup.
Note that there was a defense to the game. After cashing two rounds of diamonds, the
defense prevails by switching to a club. On coming in with the heart ace, West destroys
declarer’s communications for the coup by playing another round of clubs.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: I've often advised my readers not
South Holds: to overcall at the two-level except with
♠ 10 4 values and a six-card suit (the latter being
♥KJ832 perhaps more important than the former).
♦K4 But here you have the template for the
♣ A Q 10 6 absolutely minimum acceptable overcall.
Key is that two hearts over one spade
South West North East consumes the maximum space from the
1♠ opponents.
?
The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, July 22nd, 2012
ANSWER: I think I'd open two clubs, rebid

two spades, then jump to seven hearts to get
Dear Mr. Wolff: partner to choose a suit. My partner will
If you are in fourth seat with ♠ K-3, ♥ K-10-6, know all I need him to do is to pick the better
♦ A-K-7-2, ♣ J-4-3-2 and hear a weak two- trump suit. Mind you I might just bid seven
spade opening passed around to you, what spades at my first turn, doing that for the first
are your thoughts on bidding? And if you do (and probably last) time in my life. The other
act, would you overcall two no-trump or approach is far sounder, though.
double?
— Splitting Hares, Kansas City, Mo. Dear Mr. Wolff:
Do you have strong views about two-level
ANSWER: This hand is on the cusp for pre-empts when it comes to the question of
action. Your badly placed spade honor good or bad suits, and would you ever pre-
makes the decision especially awkward. I empt with a five-carder?
can see that doubling might get you to the — Over the Top, Wilmington, N.C.
right partscore, but you probably won't make
game unless partner has spade length and
opening values. A call of two no-trump is just
about possible; at least it protects your ANSWER: At favorable vulnerability in either
spade king. third (or even first) chair, I've been known to
treat a two-suiter with a very good five-
carder as a weak two. But I would not
recommend this style to others. Equally, in
Dear Mr. Wolff: the same seats I might open a six-card suit
I read recently that Bill Gates and Warren which was missing two of the top honors —
Buffett were keen bridge players. Do they especially if holding decent intermediates,
play in tournament events at all? And are which are often a good substitute for the
there any other celebrities who play missing high card.
seriously?
— Star Search, Dover, Del. Dear Mr. Wolff:
I was in third seat, my having partner
ANSWER: Both Warren and especially Bill opened one diamond and the next hand
are regular visitors to national events. Bill having bid two spades. I held ♠ K-4, ♥ K-Q-
plays in the very top events and does 10-6-2, ♦ Q-7-2, ♣ 10-4-3. What were my
respectably. I've seen Isaac Mizrahi play in choices now?
New York events, and NASA astronaut Greg — Options Trader, Huntingdon, W.Va.
Johnson and author Michael Palmer are also
regulars on the tournament scene — among
many other famous people.
ANSWER: The best way forward now looks
to be a negative double. This way you find
your heart fit when you have one, and if your
Dear Mr. Wolff: partner rebids two no-trump, you can pass. I
Last week at our friendly bridge club we suggest you correct three clubs to three
encountered an incredibly odd hand that diamonds, and pass a three-diamond rebid.
generated several suggested bidding This would be a much harder task if you had
sequences for reaching the right contract. three spades and two diamonds, when a
Dealer held ♠ A-K-J-10-7-4-3, ♥ A-K-Q-10-6- double might get you to an inferior partscore.
2, ♦ —, ♣ —. How should you explore
properly here?
— Major Major, Mitchell, S.D.
The Aces on Bridge: Monday, July 23rd, 2012
“A strict observance of the written laws is doubtless one of the high duties of a good
citizen, but it is not the highest.”
— Thomas Jefferson
Dealer: South North

For today's deal put yourself in the East seat. After South Vul: Both ♠J7
had opened a strong no-trump, North's call of two no- ♥K4
♦A98763
trump showed diamonds, and South's three clubs ♣984
indicated a maximum with a diamond fit, meaning that if West East
♠KQ ♠ 10 8 4 3 2
his partner could invite three no-trump, he would accept
♥ Q 10 8 3 ♥J7652
that invitation. West, your partner, leads the heart three ♦ K Q 10 ♦2
and declarer plays low from dummy. Plan the defense. ♣Q632 ♣ J 10
South
♠A965
Everybody knows the rule “Third hand plays high.” Are ♥A9
there exceptions? Yes, and today’s deal provides one. ♦J54
♣AK75
Consider what suit your partner has led from: you can see
all the low hearts from the seven down. Your partner must 1 NT Pass 2 NT Pass
have led from a four-card suit, which can only be either A- 3♣ Pass 3 NT All pass
10-8-3 or Q-10-8-3. In either case there is nothing to be
gained from playing your jack, since declarer will take the Opening Lead: ♥3
trick whatever you do. But can you see why it is important
for you to withhold your heart jack? If you do not do so, you will be left with four small
cards — and each is smaller than the three cards your partner has left. Consequently,
your suit will be blocked, and declarer will knock out your partner’s diamond winners while
you cannot cash out your suit. Take a look at the full deal to see why playing the heart jack
at the first trick would let declarer make his game.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Leading a spade rates to cost a
South Holds: trick a fair amount of the time when declarer
♠Q might take a finesse. But, then again, it
♥A862 helps to establish your side's long suit, and
♦9842 you know partner has the entries to finish
♣J873 the task. Since the lead of any four-card suit
might cost a trick or tempo or both, lead your
South West North East spade.
1♠ 1 NT
All pass
“I presume you're mortal and may err.”

— James Shirley
Dealer: East North

Today's deal comes from Robert Ewen and Jeff Rubens' Vul: Both ♠ Q 10
"It's All in the Game," a compendium of articles written ♥854
♦62
over the last 50 years by the world's foremost bridge ♣J97632
editor. West East
♠6
♠42
♥ A K Q 10 7 6
Here is Rubens explaining a hand to his wife. “There will ♥J2
3
be a lot of competitive bidding on this deal,” Rubens said, ♦ Q 10 9 8 5 4 3
♦J
♣ K 10
“but the player with the spades will usually prevail. ♣AQ85
South
Suppose South buys the contract in five spades. East has ♠AKJ98753
bid hearts vigorously, and the defense starts with two ♥9
♦AK7
rounds of that suit, South ruffing.” ♣4
“It’s a laydown. South trumps the losing diamond in South West North East
dummy.” 1♥
4♠ Pass Pass 5♥
“Well, it’s not quite that simple. East has a singleton Dbl. Pass 5♠ All pass
diamond and will trump the second diamond.”
Opening Lead: ♥J
“That’s peeking. I would have gone down.”
“What South should do is play just one round of trump before he goes after the diamonds.
As luck would have it, this extracts East’s only trump and the contract rolls home. The
incomplete trump removal is an interesting theme, and if this deal popped up (as it did at
the club this afternoon), you could send it in to the papers if it had been played correctly.”
“Was it played correctly?”
“Yes, but not at five spades. North-South tried to mess up the story by doubling East in
five hearts. South led the diamond king and switched to the spade king and ace. East
ruffed, cashed one round of hearts, and was then able to trump his losing club safely in
dummy. So the incomplete trump removal showed up anyway. That’s what I mean about
things straightening themselves out.”
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: I may not be in line with modern
South Holds: thinking, but my answer would vary here
♠42 depending on the vulnerability. I would open
♥J2 this hand three diamonds if nonvulnerable,
♦ Q 10 9 8 5 4 3 though I would understand passing if
♣ K 10 vulnerable. My partners would expect a
better suit for a three-level pre-empt. If it is
South West North East not good enough to open at the three-level, I
? would pass, rather than open two diamonds.
“A stand can be made against invasion by an army; no stand can be made against
invasion by an idea.”
— Victor Hugo
Dealer: West North

In today's deal, North-South get to an excellent slam. Vul: Both ♠753
(Indeed, South could not be blamed too much for looking ♥A5
♦KJ32
for a grand slam.) How would you play six spades on the ♣AK93
lead of a top heart? West East
♠9 ♠ J 10 8 2
Best is to win in dummy and ruff a heart immediately. (If ♥ K Q J 10 7 6 3 2 ♥84
♦86 ♦ Q 10 9
you don’t do this, there are some lies of the cards where ♣86 ♣ 10 7 4 2
you will find it hard to get this ruff in). Next, cash the three South
♠AKQ64
top trumps to leave East with the master trump. Now you ♥9
would appear to need the diamond finesse for your ♦A754
♣QJ5
contract. But if it is working, you can always take it later.
Why not delay awhile and cash your winners to see what South West North East
happens? 4♥ Dbl. Pass
6♠ All pass
Instead, play four rounds of clubs. If East follows suit, as
here, or if he discards a diamond on the fourth club, you Opening Lead: ♥K
cross back to hand with the diamond ace and have
reduced to an ending where East is down to two diamonds and his master trump. You exit
with your losing trump, forcing East to lead away from his diamond queen into the K-J in
dummy. If East ruffs in, he must again lead into dummy’s diamond tenace and concede
the rest of the tricks, unless he possesses a third heart and three clubs (unlikely after his
echo in hearts at trick one). Then he would be able to ruff the club and exit with his heart.
Now you would have no choice but to take the diamond finesse.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: With a minimum hand in high
South Holds: cards, you nonetheless have a spectacular
♠753 hand for diamonds. (Partner has shown
♥A5 game-forcing values and five-plus
♦KJ32 diamonds.) Your plan should be to cuebid
♣AK93 four clubs now, hoping to get a heart cuebid
in later, or bid three hearts right now. That is
South West North East initially a stopper for no-trump, but when you
1 NT Pass 2♣ Pass bid four clubs next, partner should get the
2♦ Pass 3♦ Pass message.
?
“They (the voters) have learned that mystery and concealment in the management of their
affairs cover tricks and betrayal.”
— Grover Cleveland
Dealer: South North

A neat elimination play saw South home in today's deal. Vul: Neither ♠ Q 4
But declarer had to play her cards in an order that ♥J865
♦ K 10
disguised her intentions, so that her plan was less likely to ♣AK986
be foiled. West East
♠653 ♠ A J 10 9 2
Against four hearts West led the spade six, top of nothing, ♥K3 ♥A4
♦J9542 ♦Q876
to the four, nine and king. Declarer immediately returned ♣ Q 10 2 ♣J3
the suit. East won and was reluctant to open up South
♠K87
diamonds, so played another spade, ruffed in dummy. ♥ Q 10 9 7 2
There appear to be four losers, but South’s plan was to ♦A3
♣754
cash her minor-suit winners and, if trumps broke 2-2,
hope that the player who won the second heart trick did South West North East
not have the third club, so would be forced to give her a Pass Pass 1♣ 1♠
ruff and discard. 2♥ 2♠ 4♥ All pass
Had she set about her minor-suit elimination early, the Opening Lead: ♠6
defense might well have divined her plan and arranged for
West, the player with the third club, to win the second heart.
To disguise her intentions, after ruffing the spade, she called for dummy’s heart jack,
giving the appearance of finessing for the queen. An unsuspecting East played low, and
on winning with the king, West equally unsuspectingly returned a diamond. Winning in
dummy, declarer cashed the club ace, and when no honor appeared from East, continued
with the king, then a diamond to her ace. The scene was set, and now a heart to East’s
ace brought about the desired result. Whatever that player led, declarer would pitch her
club loser and ruff in dummy.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Even if you don't play support
South Holds: doubles, so that partner might still have
♠K87 three hearts for you, you should rebid one
♥ Q 10 9 7 2 no-trump now. This describes the basic
♦A3 nature of your hand and lets your partner
♣754 develop his hand if he has a minimum with
extra shape in the minors or delayed support
South West North East for you with a ruffing value.
1♦ Pass
1♥ 1♠ Pass Pass
?
“Human subtlety … will never devise an invention more beautiful or more direct than does
nature.”
— Leonardo da Vinci
Dealer: East North

One of the nicest-played hands I saw all last year was Vul: Neither ♠A7
declared by the Italian superstar Giorgio Duboin. Given ♥ 10 6 2
♦K765
the East-West cards, six clubs looks somewhat ambitious, ♣ A J 10 2
but if you bid them up, you have to play them accordingly. West East
♠Q865 ♠ 10 9 2
Repeated trump leads will defeat this slam because these ♥QJ53 ♥84
♦ J 10 8 ♦A9432
disrupt declarer’s entries and force him to rely on the ♣75 ♣964
spade finesse. But Duboin reached the slam after a South
♠KJ43
tangled auction, where North miscounted her aces, then ♥AK97
moved on over a sign-off. ♦Q
♣KQ83
Still, West gave declarer a chance when he led the
diamond jack and East won her ace and returned a heart. Pass
Now, Duboin could win in hand, lead a trump to his 10, ruff 1♣ Pass 2♣ Pass
a diamond, cross to the spade ace, ruff the last diamond, 4♣* Pass 4♥** Pass
5♣ Pass 6♣ All pass
and overtake his remaining club with dummy’s ace to
draw the last trump. *Keycard asking
**One, counting the four aces and the
Now, on the lead of the diamond king, declarer’s last small trump king (an error)
heart was thrown (blanking the king) and West had to find Opening Lead: ♦J
a discard. He was down to the Q-8-6 of spades and Q-J of
hearts.
A heart was obviously impossible, as declarer would cash the heart king and ruff a spade
to dummy to cash the heart 10. However, on a spade discard, declarer simply cashed the
spade king and ruffed out the spade queen, using the heart king as the entry for the
established spade jack. Well played and a fully deserved pick-up for Duboin’s team.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your partner has suggested
South Holds: reversing values with the red suits. With a
♠J43 minimum for the auction and no stopper in
♥K4 the other major, just bid three diamonds and
♦832 let your partner take it from there. A two-
♣K9632 spade call here would suggest a spade
stopper and a nonminimum, worried about
South West North East clubs.
1♦ Dbl.
1 NT Pass 2♥ Pass
?
“An expert is one who knows more and more about less and less.”
— Nicholas Murray Butler
Dealer: South North

Terence Reese was the expert's expert when it came to Vul: Both ♠ 10 5 3 2
writing. He was the first to publicize plays that are now ♥Q74
♦ 10 3
part of every top player's repertoire. The following ♣AJ74
example, from his book "The Expert Game," shows how West East
♠KQ9 ♠764
ruffing-squeezes materialize, and also how good players
♥K985 ♥ J 10 6 3 2
build up a picture of the whole hand and convert that ♦Q6 ♦8
assessment into a winning endgame. ♣K652 ♣ Q 10 8 3
South
♠AJ8
When this hand occurred in the Cavendish Pairs, the field ♥A
generally elected to open one diamond, although the hand ♦AKJ97542
♣9
offers an impossible rebid no matter what happens next.
To my mind that argues for a strong opening bid. Be that South West North East
as it may, a sizable percentage of the field went overboard 2♣ Pass 2♥* Pass
in six diamonds, and only one pair was lucky enough to 3♦ Pass 3 NT Pass
4♦ Pass 5♣ Pass
make it when the opening lead by an uninspired West was 6♦ All pass
the spade king. However, the contract is actually laydown
*One ace or two kings
on any lead but a club, and should be brought in if East
makes the understandable early discard of a spade, Opening Lead: ♥5
allowing South to read the position in that suit. Declarer
simply runs all his trumps but two.
In the five-card ending, West must keep three spades and one heart and must thus bare
his club king. Now declarer leads to the club ace and ruffs a heart, reducing West to three
spades; then a low spade from hand endplays West at trick 12.
If West keeps two hearts and three spades in the five-card ending, a club to the ace
executes the same squeeze. West has to release a nonmaterial card because declarer
still has a trump left.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your partner's jump to four hearts
South Holds: suggests a heart control and a slam-try for
♠ 10 5 3 2 spades. With nothing to spare for your initial
♥Q74 action and a wasted heart queen, simply
♦ 10 3 sign off in four spades. To cuebid five clubs,
♣AJ74 you might need, say, the trump king in
addition to your values.
1♦ 1♥
Dbl. 2♥ 4♥ Pass
?
ANSWER: I'm a very tolerant man — as my

wife and all my friends would attest to.
Dear Mr. Wolff: Having said that, I don't like playing new
What are the merits of odd-even discards as suits as nonforcing facing an opening bid in
opposed to standard discards? competition. But I'm even less in favor of
playing two-over-one as game-forcing in
— Gadgets Galore, Olympia, Wash. competition. Go for the happy medium of
playing a new suit as forcing but, even at the
two-level, does not guarantee a rebid.
ANSWER: A case can be made against
standard discards — in the wrong hands.
Too many people throw away winners to tell Dear Mr. Wolff:
partner what they have, so any method (be it
reverse signals or suit-preference discards) I ran into a problem with this classic strong
that encourages beginning players to keep no-trump. I opened one no-trump holding
their high cards is not a totally bad idea. ♠ K-J-5-4, ♥ 6-2, ♦ A-K-2, ♣ A-J-9-4. My
partner transferred into hearts, then bid three
clubs. We play this as natural and forcing;
Dear Mr. Wolff: should I simply bid three no-trump or look for
higher things?
Playing Standard American, I was involved
in the following auction. North, holding ♠ K-4, — Excelsior, Waterbury, Conn.
♥ A, ♦ A-J-10-2, ♣ A-J-10-8-7-6, opened one
club. After a one-spade overcall, his partner,
with ♠ 4, ♥ K-Q-10-6-2, ♦ K-Q-7-5-3-2, ♣ 3, ANSWER: It looks simple to bid three no-
bid two diamonds, and the next hand raised trump now, but consider that you could be
to two spades. How should the auction have laydown for slam facing as little as five
proceeded? hearts to the A-K and five good clubs. Bid
three diamonds, then support clubs,
— Sky Diver, Jackson, Miss. suggesting a hand of this nature. At pairs
you might want to leave three no-trump in
the picture, but at teams five clubs really
ANSWER: Since, at his second turn, three should be safe enough.
hearts by North would be natural and
forcing, a four-heart call by him would be a
splinter. That implies heart shortage and a Dear Mr. Wolff:
diamond fit. South can risk a spade cuebid
despite his heart wastage (or even bid Earlier this month you discussed how to
Blackwood himself next), and the calculate the chances of a 3-1 break. How
partnership will get to slam now. do you extrapolate from that 50 percent
number to work out the chances of the 4-1
break missing five cards?
Dear Mr. Wolff: — Count M. Upp, San Luis Obispo, Calif.
I've read your negative opinions on MUD
leads from time to time. Are there any other
conventions in bidding or play that you ANSWER: Breaks of 4-1 can be derived
strongly dislike? from the chance of the 3-1 break missing
four cards (that's fifty percent) with the fifth
— Nay-Sayer, Danville, Ill. card going to the length. Add to that the
chance of the 4-0 break (10 percent) with the
fifth card going to the shortage. I'll leave you
to work out the precise numbers, but you
should get a total of 28 percent, or 14
percent for each defender.
“The loud laugh that spoke the vacant mind ….”

— Oliver Goldsmith
Dealer: South North

One of the biggest problems we all encounter at the Vul: East- ♠9853
bridge table is what I have previously referred to as West ♥A92
♦9
Premature Euphoria. This deal, which comes from a ♣A8652
recent major championship, was played in four spades by West East
♠AJ ♠7
South in both rooms.
♥Q8 ♥ K 10 7 5 4
♦QJ842 ♦ A 10 7 6
In one room, where the Italians were declaring, West hit ♣ Q 10 9 3 ♣J74
upon the devastating lead of the heart queen. Now South
♠ K Q 10 6 4 2
whatever declarer did, he was sunk. ♥J63
♦K53
In the other room Alfredo Versace was not blessed with ♣K
second sight. He led the diamond queen, which gave
declarer a good chance to make her contract. Monica 1♠ Pass 2 NT* Pass
Cuzzi won her ace and correctly shifted to a heart. 4♠ All pass
Versace inserted the queen and declarer won the first *Limit-raise or better in spades
heart and crossed to the club king, then played the
diamond king to pitch a heart. Now she ruffed a diamond Opening Lead: ♦Q
to dummy to play a spade to her king.
Alas for her, Versace could win his spade ace and return a heart to his partner. A further
heart then sealed declarer’s fate since the spade jack was promoted to a defensive trick
whatever she did next.
Had the play not started so well for declarer, she might well have thought longer and
harder about the route to success. All declarer had to do was to duck the first heart trick.
She then can win the heart continuation and take the heart discard as before, then lead a
trump. West has to win, but the key difference now is that he can no longer reach his
partner via a heart for the trump promotion.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Players are always taught to lead
South Holds: fourth highest of their longest and strongest,
♠QJ2 but with a relatively weak hand, you could
♥ 10 8 7 5 consider trying to hit partner. Leading a
♦J4 diamond would be a truly wild shot, but if
♣Q643 you find your partner with honor-fourth or -
fifth in one major, which suit will be easier to
South West North East set up? I say spades, so lead the spade
1 NT queen.
Pass 3 NT All pass
The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, July 31st, 2012
“Everything seemed won,

And all the rest for them permissible ease.”
— Robert Frost
Dealer: South North

Every Tuesday this month I have been running deals from Vul: Both ♠AK63
Robert Ewen and Jeff Rubens' new book, "It's All in the ♥A42
♦7542
Game." These deals combine many technical points with ♣43
an amusing format. In this one, I've kept Rubens' West East
♠J9542 ♠ Q 10 7
language, as the guru teaches a student how to play his
♥J973 ♥ 10 8
delicate grand slam in clubs. ♦K9 ♦ J 10 8 6 3
♣52 ♣876
The student thinks he has cracked the problem: “South South
♠8
can’t be sure what to discard on spades until he plays ♥KQ65
hearts. So he wins the opening lead, draws trump, then ♦AQ
♣ A K Q J 10 9
plays three rounds of hearts ending in dummy. If hearts
split 3-3, he throws the diamond queen on the high spade; South West North East
otherwise, he pitches a heart and takes the diamond 2♣ Pass 3♦* Pass
finesse.” 7♣ All pass
* Two aces and a king, or an ace and
“No, you’re not with it yet.” The guru shook his head sadly. three kings
“Don’t be in such a hurry to jump into the main theme.
Opening Lead: ♠2
Take your time. Do your discard thing later, but ruff a
spade at trick two. West isn’t morally obligated to lead fourth-highest, particularly against a
grand slam. He may have five spades, four hearts, and the diamond king. If you ruff a
spade at once, establishing a menace against West, he will be forced to discard the
diamond king when you run your trumps. But if East can guard spades, there is no
squeeze.”
Rubens’ point is that if you do not ruff a spade, East keeps spades, West hearts, and
declarer has to find the diamond king. But the spade ruff at trick two avoids any guess, as
the cards lie, while giving up nothing.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your partner's two-club call
South Holds: suggests interest in game if you are at the
♠J9542 upper end of a 0-8 range. With your good
♥J973 shape and a decent hand, jump to three
♦K9 hearts to tell your whole story in one bid.
♣52 This suggests your actual pattern and a
nonminimum.
1♣ Dbl. Pass
1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Friday, August 3rd, 2012
“It's true hard work never killed anybody, but I figure, why take the chance?”
— Ronald Reagan
Dealer: West North

In today's six-spade contract, the dummy comes down, Vul: Neither ♠ A 8 2
you could justifiably echo the words of Ronald Reagan ♥A2
♦ J 10 3
when he wakes up in bed and can't find his legs: "Where's ♣ J 10 8 4 3
the rest of me?" West East
♠73 ♠ 10 6 5
♥KQJ976 ♥ 10 8 5 3
How will you justify partner’s trust in you when the heart
♦86 ♦KQ94
king is led? ♣765 ♣92
South
Five tricks in each black suit and the two red aces will ♠KQJ94
♥4
bring the total to 12. The club suit is blocked, though, so ♦A752
the question is how to untangle your tricks. ♣AKQ
One possibility is to win the heart lead, draw two rounds of South West North East
2♥ Pass 4♥
trumps with the king and queen, then try to cash the three
top clubs. If the last trump is in the hand with three or
more clubs, you can cross to the spade ace and score two Opening Lead: ♥K
more club tricks for the contract. This will not work today;
East will ruff the third club, and you will be one trick short.
The answer is a spectacular one — and once you’ve seen the theme, you will not forget it.
All you have to do is to lead the heart two at trick two, discarding your club ace! (If you
don’t have a flair for the dramatic, you can throw the club queen instead.) On any return
you will be able to play the king and queen of trumps, followed by your two remaining
winners in the club suit. You can then cross to the trump ace and score three more club
tricks, throwing all your losing diamonds.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: In this sequence your partner's
South Holds: double is pure takeout. Your partner
♠ 10 6 5 suggests five or six clubs and three or four
♥ 10 8 5 3 hearts, with at minimum a sound opening
♦KQ94 bid. It is unusual to pass low-level takeout
♣92 doubles, but with three trump tricks and no
guaranteed fit, it looks a sporting gamble to
South West North East try to penalize the opponents. Even if two
1♦ diamonds doubled makes, at least it is not
Pass 1♠ 2♣ 2♦ game!
Pass Pass Dbl. Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, August 4th, 2012
“How doth the little crocodile

Improve his shining tail.”
— Lewis Carroll
Dealer: North North

Today's deal comes from the bulletins of a recent U.S. Vul: Neither ♠ Q 10 7 5
Nationals. (If you are interested in reading such reports, ♥AJ3
♦4
visit here.) ♣A9642
West East
Both Souths reached four spades doubled, with the ♠6 ♠K83
minority of high cards, after each of the North and South ♥KQ986 ♥ 10 7 4 2
♦AJ97 ♦K632
players had taken aggressive positions in the auction. ♣KJ3 ♣Q8
After the lead of the heart king, both Souths took an South
♠AJ942
immediate spade finesse. The unsuccessful declarer drew ♥5
three rounds of trumps and ducked a club to East. But ♦ Q 10 8 5
♣ 10 7 5
now two rounds of diamonds prevented declarer from
establishing the club suit. South West North East
1♣ Pass
The successful, more fortunate, declarer played a second 1♠ Dbl. 3♠ Dbl.
trump to hand and ducked a club to East, who exited with 4♠ Dbl. All pass
the third trump. Now declarer simply ducked a club and
Opening Lead: ♥K
claimed. But the defense here could also have prevailed
by playing two rounds of diamonds. Declarer then ruffs a heart to hand, but when he leads
a club toward dummy, West can defeat the contract by rising with the club king! This
maneuver is often referred to as a crocodile coup since you open your jaws and swallow
your partner’s honor. If declarer ducks this, the defense takes a club ruff, and if declarer
wins the trick, he no longer has an entry to the clubs.
Declarer could perhaps have done better by winning the second trump in dummy at trick
three and playing a low club from the table. If East hops up with the queen, he beats the
contract. But if he ducks, the crocodile no longer works for the defense.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Even though your RHO has
South Holds: suggested a four-card spade suit, your
♠AJ942 intermediates look good enough for an
♥5 advance with a call of one spade. In
♦ Q 10 8 5 auctions of this sort, you are not necessarily
♣ 10 7 5 trying for game when you bid, just looking for
your side's best fit and trying to compete
South West North East efficiently.
Pass 1♦ 1♥ Dbl.
?
The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, August 5th, 2012
ANSWER: Yes, passing one no-trump might

have worked, but I understand your action.
Dear Mr. Wolff: When your partner bid two spades, an
What is the lower threshold for a game- impossible suit, you should have played him
invitational response to a strong no-trump? for a maximum hand and a club raise. (He
For example, holding ♠ A-Q-10, ♥ 9-8-3-2, cannot have spades, or he would have bid
♦ 10-7-4, ♣ Q-9-7, would my intermediates them over one heart.) You must bid two no-
be enough for me to invite game? If so, trump, suggesting a minimum balanced
should I use Stayman, or invite in no-trump hand, to let your partner work it out from
with such square shape? there.
— At Loose Ends, Naples, Fla.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
ANSWER: I would pass here, a flat eight- I've noticed that many major events at the
count not offering quite enough for an U.S. Nationals are won by foreigners. Are
invitation. But change a small diamond into a the events open to everyone?
small spade and the presence of both four- — Circumnavigator, Fredericksburg, Va.
card majors would be just enough to tempt
me into using Stayman. Just for the record:
With your actual hand, but the diamond jack
instead of the10, I'd bid two no-trump and ANSWER: As recently as 20 years ago
ignore my four-card major. there was a proposal to close the events that
determined who would play in the U.S.
Trials, making them available only for U.S.
players. Thankfully, when the trials system
Dear Mr. Wolff: changed and became open to everyone, we
I remember in the past that at least twice you started attracting a huge foreign base of
have advocated two-club openings with players to our national events. These days
good two-suiters, to avoid getting passed out our nationals are as strong as world
and missing a major-suit game. It would championships — in some cases stronger.
seem that the same principle applies to a
good three-suiter, dummy passing with as
little as king-third in your long suit. What are Dear Mr. Wolff:
your thoughts here?
How do suit-preference signals work? Do
— Tony the Tiger, Houston, Texas they take precedence over attitude or count
signals, or are they an adjunct to them.
— Jumping Jack, Casper, Wyo.
ANSWER: I'm more inclined to open two
clubs than some, but three suiters ARE
awkward. That extra round of bidding you
lose at the first go often comes back to bite ANSWER: When your holding in a suit as a
you. Opening at the one-level with a three- defender is already known, or is just about to
suiter based on a long minor is surely right, be known, do not tell your partner the same
unless you have at least 24 HCP. message again. Instead, use your irrelevant
small cards to show your interest in the
higher or lower of the other suits. When your
partner opens a weak two and leads the king
Dear Mr. Wolff: in that suit, dummy having three cards and
Playing the forcing no-trump, I opened one you four, you know that declarer will be
heart with ♠ Q-9-3-2, ♥ A-J-7-4-3, ♦ K-4, ♣ K- ruffing and that partner will work out what
10. Over my partner's one-no-trump you have. Don't tell him again; your signal
response I bid two clubs. (I considered should be suit preference.
passing, but did not want my partner to have
a coronary.) Now my partner bid two spades!
I decided to pass to avoid a disaster but
instead found I had created one. What
should I have done?
— Lawless Lucy, Greenville, S.C.
The Aces on Bridge: Monday, August 6th, 2012
“One principle must make the universe a single complex living creature, one from all.”
— Plotinus
Dealer: South North

How would you play four spades when West leads the Vul: Both ♠AK952
diamond queen? The key to the deal is that since you ♥643
♦42
cannot avoid losing two clubs, you must try to hold your ♣ Q J 10
heart losers to one. West East
♠J6 ♠84
♥K972 ♥ J 10 8
Declarer won with the ace and drew trumps with the ace
♦ Q J 10 ♦9863
and queen. Then, hoping to set up a discard on the clubs, ♣A984 ♣K752
he continued with a club to the queen. South
♠ Q 10 7 3
♥AQ5
East won with the king and switched to the heart jack. ♦AK75
This was the key moment. ♣63
What would you have done, as South? Show the hand to South West North East
1 NT Pass 2♥ Pass
someone learning the game and she might say that she
had seen the theme already. After all, this looks like a
classical example of a finesse. She would play the queen, Opening Lead: ♦Q
losing to West’s king, and the defenders would set up a
second heart trick, beating the contract. Instead you should rise with the heart ace. When
you play another club, it is West (the safe hand, who cannot lead through the heart queen)
who wins the trick. You will be now able to throw a heart on dummy’s club winner. If East
wins the second club, nothing is lost except a potential overtrick. In other words, the game
is still safe if the heart king was onside all along.
If you had climbed to five spades, you would need to risk the finesse. And if you were
playing matchpoint pairs, you might consider risking the contract by finessing in hearts,
playing for a top or a bottom.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: On this sequence I would much
South Holds: rather lead a spade than a heart. The logic is
♠ Q 10 9 6 that though East bid spades, he did not try to
♥Q984 explore further in the suit. Also, my spade
♦75 intermediates strongly suggest that if partner
♣Q95 has a spade honor we might well be able to
set up the suit for our side.
1♦ Pass 1♠
Pass 2♥ Pass 3 NT
All pass
The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, August 7th, 2012
“Director to young man watching the bridge tournament:

“Would you care to kibitz, sir?
Young man: “No thanks, I’ll just watch.”
— Anon.
Dealer: East North

Jeff Rubens' latest book, "It's All in the Game," mixes Vul: East- ♠AQ2
humor and technical material. Here, one of his characters, West ♥AK42
♦A543
the doctor, is watching his friend in the South seat when ♣ J 10
today's deal pops up. West East
♠943 ♠6
♥QJ98 ♥ 10 7 6 3
Against four spades West led the diamond two, an
♦2 ♦ K Q J 10 9
obvious singleton, which was taken by dummy’s ace. ♣Q9763 ♣AK8
Declarer cashed the two top hearts to shed a diamond. South
♠ K J 10 8 7 5
What would you expect him to do next? ♥5
♦876
The doctor was surprised to see his friend trump a small ♣542
heart with the spade eight in hand. Clubs were now led,
East winning the king and cashing the diamond queen, on 1♦
which West discarded a heart. East continued with a third 2♠ Pass 4♠ All pass
round of diamonds, which South was forced to ruff with
the 10. Opening Lead: ♦2
East won the next club with the ace and played a fourth round of diamonds. Declarer
again ruffed high, this time with the jack. He now trumped a club in dummy, played off the
ace and queen of spades, and was left with the spade king for the final trick.
The doctor promptly asked about the strange play in hearts at the fourth trick. “Why, it was
necessary to make the contract,” replied his friend. “Had I not ruffed that heart early in the
play, West would have discarded his remaining hearts on the diamonds, and on the 12th
trick, dummy would be forced to lead a heart. West’s spade nine would become a winner
en passant.”
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your partner's three spades
South Holds: should be initially interpreted as looking for a
♠6 spade stopper for no-trump. But he may also
♥ 10 7 6 3 be cuebidding, looking for slam, about to bid
♦ K Q J 10 9 again. Either way, you should have no
♣AK8 problem if you cuebid four clubs. Since you
limited your hand at your previous turn, your
South West North East partner won't expect you to have significant
1♦ 1♠ Dbl. 2♠ extras.
3♥ Pass 3♠ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, August 8th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on August 22nd, 2012
“Things have their due measure; there are ultimately fixed limits, beyond which, or short of
which, something must be wrong.”
— Horace
Dealer: North North

In today's deal from a set of international trials, a Vul: North- ♠73
farsighted defense led to the defeat of South's four-heart South ♥A97
♦K6
contract. ♣ A 10 7 5 3 2
West East
West was unable to lead a spade, the suit that her partner ♠— ♠ A K J 10 6 4
had bid during the auction, so she attacked with a low ♥J853 ♥2
♦J9753 ♦ Q 10 8 2
diamond. Declarer rose with dummy’s king, and decided ♣KJ94 ♣Q8
that the route to 10 tricks lay via a cross-ruff. But East had South
♠Q9852
ideas of his own about that. He knew from West’s lead of ♥ K Q 10 6 4
what he knew to be a broken suit rather than his own suit ♦A4
♣6
that she had a void in spades. Accordingly he could see
that declarer would need to ruff spade losers in dummy. South West North East
1♣ 1♠
At trick two declarer led a spade from dummy and East 2♥ Pass 3♥ Pass
made his first nice play when after rising with his king, he 4♥ All pass
returned his singleton deuce of trumps. Declarer won
Opening Lead: ♦3
cheaply in dummy – West withholding her jack – and
South continued with dummy’s second spade. East now made his second nice play when
he withheld his ace, so that West would be forced to ruff the trick.
This was the winning defense: it put West on lead, she of course being the only one of the
partnership who could continue the trump attack – which she did.
Declarer was now a trick short for his contract, as he had only one heart left in dummy –
insufficient to deal with three losing spades. This fine defense was not replicated at the
other table.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your partner's double is for
South Holds: takeout, suggesting both majors, or one of
♠73 the majors with club tolerance, and decent
♥A97 values (about a nine-point minimum). The
♦K6 choice is to rebid clubs or to introduce a
♣ A 10 7 5 3 2 three-card major. I slightly prefer the latter
course of action — the club spots seem a
South West North East little too feeble for a rebid.
1♦
2♣ 2♦ Dbl. Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, August 9th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on August 23rd, 2012
“I claim not to have controlled events, but confess plainly that events have controlled me.”
— Abraham Lincoln
Dealer: South North

When declarer has only seven or eight trumps between Vul: East- ♠ 10 8 2
his hand and dummy, he often needs to resort to special West ♥ J 10
♦ A 10 9 8
efforts to retain control. Today's deal is just such an ♣AKQ3
example — declarer has only a combined holding of West East
♠KQJ ♠A9653
seven trumps, AND they break poorly.
♥6 ♥97432
♦QJ72 ♦43
Against four hearts, the lead was the spade king, then the ♣ J 10 6 5 4 ♣8
queen, and the spade jack was overtaken by the ace. If South
♠74
declarer blithely ruffs in and draws trumps he must go ♥AKQ85
down; East has longer trumps than South and can play on ♦K65
♣972
spades every time he regains the lead.
To retain control, South must discard a club at trick three. 1♥ Pass 2♣ Pass
Now, on a nonspade continuation, declarer romps home. 2♥ Pass 3♦ Pass
But what happens if East plays a fourth spade? South 4♣ Pass 4♥ All pass
must discard a club and ruff in dummy with the heart 10.
Opening Lead: ♠K
After taking the heart jack, he plays a diamond to the king
and takes the heart ace. Again, if trumps had split, declarer would be home. As it is, South
notes the bad break and next plays the club ace and king. If East ruffs, South can overruff,
draw trumps and claim. If East discards, South discards a diamond. Now the club queen
offers East the same choice. When he discards again, South pitches his diamond king
and leads a plain card to score all his trumps whatever East does.
In the end, declarer makes five trumps in hand, the heart 10 on table and four minor-suit
tricks.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Whenever a responder has
South Holds: game-forcing values, he should consider at
♠74 his second turn using the fourth suit. Here, a
♥AKQ85 call of two diamonds sets up a game force
♦K65 and helps South find out more about his
♣972 partner's shape and stoppers. Since partner
could have six clubs and a void in hearts, it
South West North East is time to explore whether clubs, hearts or
1♣ Pass no-trump is the best strain to play.
1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass
?
by Bobby Wolff on September 12th, 2012
“Gaze upon the rolling deep

(Fish is plentiful and cheap).”
— Edward Lear
Dealer: West North

At the 2011 Lederer there are awards for best-bid, -played Vul: Neither ♠ A K 9 5
and -defended hand. This one belongs in the category of ♥K98
♦A9654
"You should have seen the one that got away." ♣A
West East
Andy Robson had an opportunity in this deal where, like ♠ 10 6 2 ♠QJ7
many declarers, he found himself in six hearts. ♥ 10 ♥542
♦QJ87 ♦K3
♣K6432 ♣QJ975
On a minor-suit lead there are enough entries to establish South
and enjoy the diamonds. However, Justin Hackett found ♠843
♥AQJ763
the most testing start, a spade, and Andy won and ducked ♦ 10 2
a diamond. East won and returned a second spade, ♣ 10 8
perforce won in the dummy. Robson won and cashed two
rounds of hearts and could no longer recover from the Pass 1♦ Pass
unfriendly breaks in the red suits. 1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass
2♥ Pass 4♣ Pass
The correct line at trick four is to cash the heart and 4♦ Pass 4 NT Pass
diamond aces (you have no chance on a 5-1 break) and 5♦ Pass 6♥ All pass
ruff a diamond high. Now the diamonds are known to be

Opening Lead: ♠2
breaking 4-2, and when you cross to the heart nine, you
also know the trumps are 3-1.
This forces you to fall back on your last chance, namely that spades were 3-3, by ruffing a
diamond high, crossing to another heart in dummy, and throwing a spade on the long
diamond. Then you can ruff out the spade, and finally use your club ace to enjoy the 13th
spade. So, the third chance, an unlikely one, would have worked.
In the end you finish up ruffing two diamonds and a spade in your hand, establishing a
long card in both of dummy’s suits.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Passing here would be truly
South Holds: pessimistic, so a simple raise to three clubs
♠QJ7 looks reasonable. But I think you can be
♥542 more descriptive than that. Bid two spades
♦K3 instead, which cannot show a long spade
♣QJ975 suit since you already denied that. This
shows a club raise with spade cards,
South West North East suggesting a maximum hand for the auction:
1♦ Pass perfect!
1 NT Pass 2♣ Pass
?
“By the work one knows the workman.”

— Jean de La Fontaine
Dealer: East North

At the 2011 Lederer, Artur Malinowski, declarer in today's Vul: East- ♠J83
deal, won the award for best-played hand. The play was West ♥2
♦K9654
simple, but his reasoning was excellent. After the normal ♣AJ76
start to the auction, Janet de Botton made a responsive West East
♠ 10 5 4 ♠K72
double with the North hand, and East competed further to
♥ K 10 9 7 4 ♥AQJ865
four hearts. When this came back to de Botton, she tried ♦73 ♦ A 10 8
again with four no-trump. (In a similar position one North ♣ Q 10 9 ♣8
South
had tried an intellectual bid of four spades, but declarer ♠AQ96
was forced to go one off on the club lead, either sustaining ♥3
♦QJ2
a ruff or losing control.) ♣K5432
Against Malinowski’s contract of five clubs, Tony Priday South West North East
led the heart king and switched to a spade, which cleared 1♥
up any doubts in that suit. Declarer won East’s king with Dbl. 3♥ Dbl. 4♥
Pass Pass 4 NT Pass
the ace, then played the club king and finessed the jack 5♣ All pass
for plus 400. Why did he do this? There were two
reasons: the first was that if East had been dealt a Opening Lead: ♥K
doubleton club, he would have been less inclined to go on
to four hearts and, equally, West might have led or switched to a club with a doubleton
rather than playing a dangerous spade. With queen-third of clubs he was never leading
one.
The odds might favor playing the bidder for the missing high cards, but here the
inferences pointed in the other direction: East appeared to have extra shape, and thus
West was more likely to have long clubs.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Though partner has not acted
South Holds: here, there are reasons to assume that he
♠K72 has a few values (e.g., the opponents'
♥AQJ865 attempts to stay low).. To involve him here,
♦ A 10 8 double three clubs for takeout. This
♣8 suggests your precise hand pattern, though
it may be a slight overbid. If you are worried
South West North East that this sounds like penalty, remember the
1♣ opponents have bid and raised the suit three
1♥ 2♣ Pass Pass times, so you can't hold a trump stack.
2♥ Pass Pass 3♣
?
The Aces on Bridge: Friday, August 31st, 2012
“The battle rent a cobweb diamond-strung

And cut a flower beside a ground bird’s nest
Before it stained a single human breast.”
— Robert Frost
Dealer: North North

Today's deal was a fascinating clash between Zia Vul: Both ♠Q952
Mahmood and Tony Forrester, with the latter coming out ♥KQ9763
♦4
on top, as he did in the event as a whole. A big win in the ♣ 10 8
last round gave the Gold Cup team a clear victory, West East
♠KJ64 ♠87
allowing Andy Robson to equal Zia's record of seven wins.
♥ A J 10 8 4 ♥52
♦Q ♦ 10 9 8 6 5
When Forrester led the club-king lead against three no- ♣KQ5 ♣7632
trump, Zia won and fired back a club, which Forrester South
♠ A 10 3
ducked. Quite reasonably, Zia took the diamond finesse ♥—
now. Forrester won and faced an awkward problem. He ♦AKJ732
♣AJ94
cashed the club queen (on which dummy threw a heart) to
avoid being thrown in with that card, then exited with the South West North East
spade jack. This should have been fatal. Zia put on the 2♥ Pass
queen, but failed to unblock the 10 from his hand. 2 NT* Pass 3♥ Pass
3 NT All pass
Had he done so, he would have been able to get home in *[IS SOMETHING MISSING HERE?]
two ways. The first would have been by leading the heart
Opening Lead: ♣K
king, and when West wins and returns the heart jack,
declarer ducks and West is endplayed. Or Zia could have crossed to the spade ace,
cashed all his minor-suit winners, and exited with his last spade. If that were the 10, West
could duck it, but as it is, declarer would have been able to put West on lead and come to
his ninth trick in the majors.
Zia did not know the diamonds were 5-1 at this time, but the spade-jack exit might have
given him a clue to the layout.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You have three choices: an
South Holds: invitational two no-trump; a reverse to two
♠KJ64 spades to show the major-suit pattern; and a
♥ A J 10 8 4 cautious two clubs, planning to come in
♦Q again if partner does not pass this call. The
♣KQ5 first two bids are right on values; the third
leaves you space to explore. Put me down
South West North East as a two-club bidder, but don't ask me to
1♥ Pass 1 NT Pass justify it!
?
The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, August 1st, 2012
“As I know more of mankind I expect less of them, and am ready now to call a man a good
man upon easier terms than I was formerly.”
— Samuel Johnson
Dealer: North North

It is unusual if there is no Zia coup to report from a Vul: Neither ♠ J 6 2
tournament in which he is participating. At the 2008 Buffet ♥AK42
♦2
Bridge Cup he did not let us down. ♣AKJ62
West East
The hand is from the Individual, and the scoring was by ♠K984 ♠A5
Point-a-Board. That meant that overtricks and undertricks ♥QJ5 ♥ 10 9 8 6 3
♦Q964 ♦K87
were just as important as bidding to the best contract. In ♣ 10 9 ♣754
turn, this led to players going for the jugular. South
♠ Q 10 7 3
♥7
A word on the auction: Nowadays many players introduce ♦ A J 10 5 3
a major before a minor, even when the minor is stronger ♣Q83
— or even longer — on hands worth just one bid. That is
why Zia preferred one spade to one diamond as his initial 1♣ Pass
response. 1♠ Pass 2♥ Pass
2 NT Pass 3♠ Pass
The no-trump game can be beaten by a heart lead. The 3 NT All pass
defenders can set up hearts before a spade trick can be
Opening Lead: ♦4
established. However, since North was marked with a
singleton diamond at most, there was little reason for West to look further for a lead. The
diamond four went to the two and king, and now nine tricks are available if the ace is
played. But Zia ducked, following with a deceptive diamond five!
A heart return would still have seen the defense win out. But East saw no reason to
switch, given the relative strengths of dummy’s red suits, so he returned a diamond to the
10 and queen. Fully taken in, West continued with diamonds rather than cashing out
spades, enabling Zia to wrap up an overtrick to secure the full point.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your choices are to raise spades
South Holds: to whatever level you think appropriate, to
♠ Q 10 7 3 cuebid in hearts to show a limit raise, or to
♥7 jump in diamonds. This last call in a
♦ A J 10 5 3 competitive auction should be a fit-jump
♣Q83 suggesting precisely this amount of spade
support and a source of tricks in diamonds.
South West North East So it would be my choice.
1♥ 1♠ 2♣
?
The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, August 2nd, 2012
“You're either part of the solution or part of the problem.”

— Eldridge Cleaver
Dealer: South North

Andrew Robson, bridge correspondent for The London Vul: Neither ♠ A K J 7
Times and one of England's finest players, owns a hugely ♥J92
♦ Q 10
successful bridge club. In today's deal Robson was West. ♣A642
You may care to cover up the South and East hands and West East
♠ Q 10 9 3 ♠652
plan your defense against three no-trump. You lead the
♥AQ6 ♥8743
spade three and dummy's jack holds the trick. Declarer ♦K54 ♦J986
plays a low club to the queen and king. What now? ♣K93 ♣ 10 8
South
♠84
Suppose you play back a spade. Declarer wins and ♥ K 10 5
cashes his clubs, forcing you to pitch a diamond. He leads ♦A732
♣QJ75
a diamond up, letting you win your king and exit in
spades. But declarer cashes the diamond queen and South West North East
throws you in with a spade to give the lead back in hearts, Pass 1♣ Pass Pass
letting him cash the diamond ace for his ninth trick. If you 1 NT Pass 2♣ Pass
2♦ Pass 3 NT All pass
discarded a heart on the club, declarer can play a heart
instead. After taking two hearts and a spade, you will have Opening Lead: ♠3
to lead a diamond, and South is not going to guess wrong.
Robson found a more dynamic defense: when he was in with the club king: He switched
to the diamond king. Declarer won and cashed his black-suit winners, but Robson
discarded a heart. He could now establish a diamond to go with two hearts and two black-
suit tricks.
Declarer missed a resource: He should have ducked the diamond king. He wins the
diamond continuation, then cashes his diamond ace, his high clubs and spades before
exiting with a spade, forcing West to give him a heart trick at the end.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Here a double is not penalties —
South Holds: It suggests values and an unbiddable hand.
♠84 Your partner will pass with a relatively
♥ K 10 5 balanced takeout hand and will bid on with
♦A732 real spade shortage or extra values. If you
♣QJ75 were to act, a call of four no-trump here
would show the minors and be a reasonable
South West North East alternative.
3♠ Dbl. 4♠
?
The Aces on Bridge: Friday, August 10th, 2012
“If there were dreams to sell,

What would you buy?
Some cost a passing bell;
Some a light sigh….”
— Thomas Beddoes
Dealer: South North

In today's deal North-South were playing that if South Vul: Neither ♠ Q
doubled at his second turn, it would show any hand with ♥J6432
♦AQ4
three-card heart support. So South's two-diamond rebid ♣ A 10 7 2
denied three-card heart support, and North decided to bid West East
♠J72 ♠A86543
game in diamonds without further ado. A reasonable
♥ K 10 7 ♥Q985
alternative would have been to bid three spades at his ♦K95 ♦8
second turn. South would then have bid three no-trump, ♣J854 ♣Q9
South
which would come home today easily enough. ♠ K 10 9
♥A
How would you play the diamond game when West leads ♦ J 10 7 6 3 2
♣K63
the spade two to the ace and East returns a low spade?
Were you tempted to make the “cost-nothing” play of South West North East
inserting the 10? Do that, and, as the cards lie, you would 1♦ Pass 1♥ 1♠
go down! The problem is that you would use up an entry 2♦ 2♠ 5♦ All pass
to dummy prematurely.
Opening Lead: ♠2
To make the contract, you must rise with the spade king.
You then cash the heart ace and finesse the trump queen successfully. Your aim now is to
set up a long heart.
You ruff a heart and play a trump to the ace, East showing out. A second heart ruff is
followed by a spade ruff with dummy’s last trump. You then ruff a fourth round of hearts.
It makes no difference whether West overruffs with his master trump or discards on the
trick. Either way, you will be able to cross to dummy with the club ace and discard your
club loser on the heart that you have established.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You do not have enough to drive
South Holds: to game, but it would be cowardly not to
♠Q suggest your invitational values. The easiest
♥J6432 way to do this is to jump to two no-trump at
♦AQ4 once. Since a call of one no-trump could
♣ A 10 7 2 show an 11- or 12-count, your call suggests
the values you have and will let partner
South West North East decide where to go from here.
1♣ 1♠ Pass
?
“In the fell clutch of circumstance,

I have not winced nor cried aloud….”
— W.E. Henley
Dealer: South North

The auction in today's deal is worth a second glance. Vul: East- ♠876
Playing standard methods, and whether or not two West ♥J9
♦AKQ93
diamonds is a game force, it would be a mistake to ♣Q75
assume that the rebid of two hearts promises six hearts. It West East
♠ Q J 10 3 ♠AK94
suggests either six hearts or a rebidabble five-card suit
♥ 10 8 3 2 ♥64
with no better alternative. With a minimum hand opener ♦72 ♦ J 10 8 6
strives to make a descriptive call at his second turn, which ♣ K 10 8 ♣J93
South
could be to raise partner, bid no-trump, or introduce a ♠52
second suit economically. Bidding three clubs should ♥AKQ75
♦54
show extras or a good second suit. ♣A642
Hence North cannot raise hearts immediately, but his South West North East
indirect route suggests a doubleton honor — perfect from 1♥ Pass 2♦ Pass
South’s perspective. 2♥ Pass 3♣ Pass
4♣ Pass 4♥ All pass
Against four hearts West leads the spade queen and
Opening Lead: ♠Q
continues with a low spade. After declarer ruffs the third
round of spades, he could simply draw trump now, planning to duck a diamond if trumps
were 3-3. But if he does so, the 4-2 trump break will leave him reliant on diamonds
splitting, and today is not his lucky day.
So the question is whether declarer can do any better by tackling the side suits before
drawing trump. The answer is yes: Declarer can improve his chances by leading a club
toward the queen at trick four. This is almost without risk, as neither defender has shifted
to a club. What it does is to give him a third chance for his contract. Now if West wins the
club king to play another spade, declarer can take the ruff in dummy and retain trump
control.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: A cuebid of two diamonds might
South Holds: sound like a strong hand, but if you had
♠ Q J 10 3 opening values, you'd start by doubling here.
♥ 10 8 3 2 So the cuebid should be a limited but
♦72 shapely hand with both majors — exactly
♣ K 10 8 like this hand. Note that this principle only
applies over a response in no-trump (and
South West North East not to a suit bid) by your RHO.
1♦ Dbl. 1 NT
?
ANSWER: You can do what you like, of

course. If you can't stand to pass this hand
Dear Mr. Wolff: of power and quality, then opening one
In second seat would you overcall one diamond for the lead has something to
diamond with one spade, holding ♠ Q-9-8-3- recommend it. Whatever the technical merits
2, ♥ A-7-4, ♦ Q-9-7, ♣ J-4? If not, what is the of opening one club, it IS your weakest suit
smallest change you would make to this after all, so why encourage partner to lead it
hand to make it worth an overcall? — or support it?
— Chicken Little, Texarkana, Texas
Dear Mr. Wolff:
ANSWER: The vulnerability and scoring do I'm an ancient bridge novice, who deeply
matter here. I'd pass if vulnerable — appreciates your daily column in Contra
especially if my partner was a passed hand Costa Times. Please tell me the meaning of
— although I suppose at pairs I might be "signaling count."
tempted to overcall. However, I'd be unable — Number Cruncher, Macon, Ga.
to resist bidding if the spade nine were the
jack. One can rarely afford to stay silent with
the boss suit.
ANSWER: Signaling count means showing
an even number of cards by playing high
then low, an odd number by playing low then
Dear Mr. Wolff: high. After you have followed suit as third
Is it appropriate to defend the same way hand in an attempt to win the trick, at your
against a strong and a weak no-trump? next turn signal count from your remaining
What should be the cut-off in high cards for (not original) cards.
going one way or the other — assuming you
recommend a separate defense?
Dear Mr. Wolff:
— Foxy Grandpa, Hartford, Conn.
What is my best rebid after I opened one
diamond and heard a one-heart response? I
ANSWER: Against a weak no-trump held ♠ A-Q-3-2, ♥ 4, ♦ A-Q-9-7-3, ♣ A-Q-10.
(anything where the minimum high cards are Would you bid no-trump, or spades? If
fewer than 14) you must play a penalty spades, at what level would you bid them?
double. A defense that lets you show one- — Easing Down the Road, Mason City, Iowa
and two-suiters such as Cappelletti is simple
and reasonably effective. Against a strong
no-trump you can do the same, but you may
prefer to get in more actively, in which case ANSWER: A no-trump call is inappropriate
Woolsey or DONT achieves that target. You when you have a shapely hand. You should
can find a summary here. bid spades, and the fact that you have no fit
for your partner's suit should argue for
caution. In my opinion it is better to bid one
spade and risk missing game, than to bid
Dear Mr. Wolff: two spades and force to game. Switch the
I held ♠ Q-7-4-2, ♥ Q-9-7, ♦ A-Q-10 ♣ J-10-7 hearts and clubs, and you would happily bid
in third seat. When the auction came around two spades.
to me, I opened one diamond and passed
my partner's response of one heart. When I
put my dummy down, my LHO said I should
have opened one club with 3-3 in the minors.
Is that true?
— Grindstone, Calgary, Alberta
“I see but one rule: to be clear. If I am not clear, all my world crumbles to nothing.”
— Stendhal
Dealer: North North

It is normal these days to use a negative double to show Vul: North- ♠Q84
both majors after your partner opens one club and the South ♥97
♦AKJ8
next hand bids one diamond. Conversely, the negative ♣A642
double of a one-heart overcall shows precisely four West East
♠ 10 9 7 ♠653
spades. However, South in this deal decided that since he
♥QJ542 ♥ A K 10 8 6
was happy to play in a 4-3 spade fit, it was more ♦964 ♦ 10 2
descriptive to bid one spade himself, suggesting five. That ♣ 10 3 ♣KQ9
South
got him to a delicate spot, but at least it was a game that ♠AKJ2
had play. Five diamonds would have been nearly ♥3
♦Q753
hopeless. ♣J875
The defenders led the heart queen and played a second South West North East
heart, ruffed by declarer. Now what to do? Declarer 1♦ 1♥
needed trumps to be 3-3 of course, but he also had to 1♠ 3♥ 3♠ Pass
4♠ All pass
establish a second club trick while he still had trumps in
both hands, to avoid being forced. So he played the club Opening Lead: ♥Q
ace and a low club to the next two tricks, East winning the
club queen.
If East returned a heart, that would provide the 10th trick via a ruff and sluff, whereas if he
played anything else, declarer would win and play a third round of clubs to set up his 10th
trick. When he chose to lead a diamond, declarer won in dummy and played a third club.
West could discard a diamond, but still had one left when East played a second diamond
himself. Declarer could now win and turn his attention to trumps. When they split 3-3, he
claimed the balance.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: A heart lead looks to be a very
South Holds: long shot, so we really have to choose one
♠932 of the other three suits. A diamond looks far
♥ K 10 7 5 4 too dangerous; thus the choice is a club or a
♦Q4 spade. Since no one has bid clubs, maybe
♣J85 this should be the default lead rather than
spades. I would lead a low club of course,
South West North East but you might tempt me to lead the spade
1♥ nine if I were to attack that suit.
Pass 1♠ Pass 2 NT
Pass 3 NT All pass
“Down Time's quaint stream

Without an oar,
We are enforced to sail,
Our Port — a secret —
Our Perchance — a gale.”
— Emily Dickinson
Dealer: South North

West leads the spade queen against six hearts. After Vul: Neither ♠ 8 6 2
winning the spade ace, you cash the ace and king of ♥ 10 4 3
♦ J 10
trumps. If both defenders follow, cash the club ace and ♣J8543
continue with the club queen. If clubs are 3-2, life is easy; West East
♠ Q J 10 9 5 ♠K743
if they are not, you may have to cross to dummy with the
♥872 ♥6
trump 10 and take the diamond finesse. ♦K54 ♦98763
♣96 ♣ K 10 7
When one defender discards on the second round of South
♠A
trumps, what should you do next? Obviously, you could ♥AKQJ95
cross to dummy with the trump 10 and take the diamond ♦AQ2
♣AQ2
finesse. However, it is far better to develop dummy’s club
suit. South West North East
2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass
One way is to draw the last trump and continue with the 2♥ Pass 4♥ Pass
ace and queen of clubs. But East will hold up the king until 6♥ All pass
the third round. You do no better by playing the club ace
Opening Lead: ♠Q
and queen while you still have the trump 10 as an entry to
dummy. On this layout, East will win the second round of clubs and give his partner a club
ruff.
Far better is to lead the club queen from hand first! If East takes the king, you will win his
return, draw the last trump, and enjoy the club suit. If instead East ducks, you will continue
with ace and another club. Then, after winning East’s return, you will cross to the dummy
with the trump 10 and run the clubs.
This plan will succeed around two-thirds of the time, making it far more attractive than the
diamond finesse.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your partner's decision to reopen
South Holds: with a call of two clubs and not a takeout
♠K743 double suggests extra shape and perhaps
♥6 unsuitability for defending (since he wasn't
♦98763 prepared to give you the option to defend). If
♣ K 10 7 that is so, you certainly don't want to double
now — that would show much better trumps.
South West North East The choice is to raise to three clubs or pass,
1♥ 1♠ and with the singleton in partner's long suit,
Pass Pass 2♣ 2♠ I'd opt for defense.
?
“Lo! I uncover the land

Which I hid of old time in the West,
As the sculptor uncovers the statue
When he has wrought his best….”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
Dealer: West North

"Cover an honor with an honor" is a well-known bridge Vul: Both ♠J976
adage, but as with most such rules, there are plenty of ♥K976
♦5
exceptions. Today's declarer exploited East's knee-jerk ♣ A K 10 9
reaction to cover. But perhaps it would be best to start by West East
♠A852 ♠K4
concealing the East-West cards, and only then to make
♥J8 ♥ 10 5
your plan on the lead of the diamond ace followed by a ♦AJ962 ♦ K 10 8 4 3
shift to the club five. (Yes, a spade switch would have ♣52 ♣Q873
South
been the killer.) ♠ Q 10 3
♥AQ432
In four hearts, declarer won with dummy’s ace, drew the ♦Q7
♣J64
outstanding trumps with the ace and king, and astutely
played the spade jack from the dummy. East played the South West North East
king… and the rest is history. Pass 1♣ Pass
1♥ Dbl. 2♥ 3♦
East could not attack clubs to advantage, so he continued 4♥ All pass
with another diamond. Declarer ruffed in the dummy and
Opening Lead: ♦A
played a spade to the queen and West’s ace. West played
another club, but declarer won the king, played a spade to his 10, crossed back to dummy
with a trump, and cashed the spade nine, discarding his club loser.
When you think about it, it is hard to see how covering the spade jack could gain.
Unfortunately for him, East did not think about it!
The “power of the closed hand” is worth remembering. All things being equal, it often
works well to play toward the closed hand rather than toward the dummy. It generally
makes it much harder for the defenders to decide whether to win or duck when they
cannot see what third hand will play.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: When your partner overcalls one
South Holds: no-trump, play similar methods to what you
♠J976 would do if he opens the bidding with that
♥K976 call. So is it best to play penalties here, or to
♦5 make a takeoutbid? I feel that when the
♣ A K 10 9 opponents bid and raise a suit, double
should be takeout. It still lets you catch the
South West North East opponents speeding when partner has a
1♦ 1 NT 2♦ penalty double of diamonds. Double of a
? new suit bid by your RHO can sensibly be
played as penalty.
“Eighty percent of success is showing up.”

— Woody Allen
Dealer: East North

The 80th anniversary of the European Bridge League will Vul: North- ♠AK
take place this summer. Ten years ago, commemorative South ♥ 10 9 7 5 4
♦QJ64
plaques were presented to former European Champions. ♣J5
Two of the greats who are sadly no longer with us, Giorgio West East
♠J9842 ♠ Q 10 5
Belladonna and Rixi Markus, jointly hold the record, with
♥Q ♥AK6
10 apiece. Both died approximately 20 years ago, having ♦A93 ♦K8752
dominated the game in the 50s and 60s. ♣Q864 ♣ 10 3
South
♠763
Today’s deal features Giorgio Belladonna on defense ♥J832
during the European Championships of 1967, held in ♦ 10
♣AK972
Dublin, where he gained his sixth title as a member of the
famous Italian Blue Team. In those days negative doubles South West North East
were not the norm — Belladonna’s double was for blood. 1♦
Defending two clubs doubled, Belladonna led the heart 2♣ Dbl. All pass
queen, then switched to a low diamond, away from his

Opening Lead: ♥Q
ace. East won with the king, and proceeded to cash the
ace and king of hearts, on which Belladonna discarded the nine, then, essentially, the
diamond ace.
East now played a diamond, which South ruffed with the club nine. Belladonna refused to
overruff, discarding a spade instead. South tried a low club toward the jack, but
Belladonna inserted his queen, then got off lead with a spade to dummy’s ace. There was
now no way that declarer could return to his hand without Belladonna scoring another
trump trick scoring 200 for Italy.
You can see that if West had not discarded his diamonds on his partner’s winning hearts,
declarer would have had a safe re-entry to hand with a diamond ruff.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your partner has shown a
South Holds: balanced hand, somewhat better than a
♠763 strong no-trump. With your side-suit
♥J832 singleton you appear to be offering partner
♦ 10 diamond ruffs as well as quick tricks in clubs.
♣AK972 Despite your bad trumps, it feels right to
jump to four spades now. Just for the record,
South West North East I believe a call of three clubs would suggest
1♠ Pass long clubs and a very weak hand, not the 13
2♠ Pass 2 NT Pass
cards you hold.
?
“In Switzerland, they had brotherly love; they had 500 years of democracy and peace and
what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.”
— Orson Welles
Dealer: North North

One of the most successful formats for events in the Vul: Neither ♠ A J 10 8
United Kingdom is Swiss Pairs. An event of 12 eight- ♥AJ7
♦976
board matches typically takes place over three days. The ♣Q98
format pits pairs who are doing equally well against one West East
♠Q ♠965432
another, and it is now the standard format for the first
♥KQ5 ♥9
weekend of the annual Brighton Summer Congress. ♦ A Q J 10 4 3 2 ♦K5
♣K4 ♣ J 10 5 2
Today’s deal features a well-conceived defense by South
♠K7
Richard Winter and Phil Godfrey from a recent ♥ 10 8 6 4 3 2
championship. Against four hearts West, Winter, found the ♦8
♣A763
best lead, his bare spade queen, declarer winning in hand
with the king. Seeing all four hands, one can easily see South West North East
the way to defeat South’s game, but as the defenders 1♦ Pass
were not blessed with X-ray vision, they had to rely on 1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass
2♥ 3♦ 3♥ Pass
accurate signaling to direct the defense. 4♥ All pass
When South led a low heart at trick two, Winter split his Opening Lead: ♠Q
heart honors. Declarer won with dummy’s ace and
continued with a second heart. East discarded the spade nine on this, a card that could
not convey attitude since both East and West knew declarer had all the missing high
cards in the suit. So what should the card mean? Logically, it had to be a loud suit-
preference signal for the higher-ranked of the other two suits — in this case, diamonds.
On winning with the heart queen, Winter underled his diamond honors. Godfrey won with
the king and returned a spade. Winter’s ruff with his last trump was the third defensive
trick, and the club king eventually set the game.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: The range for a balancing call of
South Holds: one no-trump is 11-15, perfect for this deal.
♠ A J 10 8 Be aware that it might even be right to bid
♥AJ7 one no-trump with this hand if the minor
♦976 suits were reversed. Showing a club stopper
♣Q98 is less important than describing the range
and balanced nature of your hand.
1♣ Pass Pass
?
by Bobby Wolff on September 1st, 2012
“We are none of us infallible — not even the youngest of us.”

— William Thompson
Dealer: West North

How will you play six spades on a top diamond lead? You Vul: East- ♠85
win it in dummy, ditching a club. You have five side-suit West ♥AK63
♦ A 10 6 3
winners and will make the slam if you can add seven ♣AK4
trump tricks. Since your main objective is to single in your West East
♠— ♠QJ97
small trump, you ruff a diamond at trick two and cash the
♥ 10 9 7 ♥Q854
spade ace, hoping for a 2-2 trump break. It looks ♦KQJ9842 ♦75
disastrous when West discards a diamond, but you simply ♣J63 ♣Q95
South
continue to score your low trumps. You take the heart ace, ♠ A K 10 6 4 3 2
ruff a diamond, then cross to the heart king to ruff a heart. ♥J2
♦—
Now comes the club ace and a heart ruff. Next you cross ♣ 10 8 7 2
to dummy with the club king and lead dummy's diamond
10. South West North East
3♦ 3 NT Pass
You have taken the first 10 tricks (six tricks in aces and 5♠ Pass 6♠ All pass
kings and four ruffs in hand) and are down to the K-10 of
Opening Lead: ♦K
spades and one losing club. Meanwhile, East has the Q-J-
9 of spades left, but he cannot prevent you from scoring your trump 10. If he ruffs with the
spade queen or jack, you will discard the club 10 and finesse on East’s forced trump
return; if he ruffs low, you can overruff with the 10.
The pitfall to be avoided was that if you take a third diamond ruff too early, East would
discard the second of his three clubs. Then you would lose one of your club winners.
However, by ruffing the two hearts before the final diamond, you prevented East from
making a damaging discard.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: It is very tempting to drive for
South Holds: slam here. Your controls are excellent, but
♠85 you have at most 32 HCP and no great fit.
♥AK63 Nonetheless, your great controls argue for
♦ A 10 6 3 taking an aggressive position. (Imagine
♣AK4 partner with five decent clubs and an ace
and two kings on the side.) Bidding four no-
South West North East trump as quantitative, not Blackwood, is
1♣ Pass reasonable, and might get you to six clubs
1♥ Pass 1 NT Pass when it is right.
?
by Bobby Wolff on September 2nd, 2012
ANSWER: I think you have enough to go to

game, but jumping to three no-trump sounds
Dear Mr. Wolff: premature to me. Since two no-trump would
What is the minimum required to reopen be nonforcing, I think a simple call of two
over a bid of one of a minor when you hold hearts would be sufficient, suggesting a
relative shortness in the opponent's suit? heart stopper and leaving partner room to
Recently, with ♠ 9-8-3, ♥ A-Q-7-4, ♦ A-10-9- explore. You plan to bid three no-trump at
7, ♣ 10-5, I doubled a one-club call when it your next turn.
came around to me in balancing seat. My
partner drove to three no-trump with a
balanced 12-count and a double club Dear Mr. Wolff:
stopper — down one. He claimed I should
have passed one club out as I was too weak Do you like the idea, on opening lead or in
to bid. midhand, of leading nines, 10s and jacks
from specific sequences (either to promise
— Rough Justice, Holland, Mich. or deny a higher honor)?
— Jack Denies, Bellevue, Wash.
ANSWER: Your partner was dead wrong.
With short clubs you must reopen with
anything approaching these values. Your ANSWER: Bob Hamman and I did not play
partner can invite game — which is all he is nines and 10s at trick one because, without
worth — with a call of two no-trump: problem seeing dummy, we did not want to give
solved. declarer information that might be critical.
However, in midhand there is an excellent
argument to be made for playing them. The
point is that you can always false-card if you
Dear Mr. Wolff: want — the sight of dummy should tell you.
As a club tournament director, I am
bedeviled by slow players. How can I get
them to speed up? I do not want to penalize Dear Mr. Wolff:
them, but what choice do I have?
One partnership at our local club plays
— Aunt Bee, Elmira, N. Y. Precision, using their two-no-trump opening
bid to show both minors. How should we
defend against that action?
ANSWER: When the round is called, you — Minor Injuries, Pittsburgh, Pa.
should prevent anyone from playing a board
that they have not yet started. Let them play
it at the end of the event if they have time
and both sides want to do so. If not, give ANSWER: Double the call to show a strong
both sides an average. Other than that, you no-trump or better, and bid three of a minor
have very few ways to speed up laggards to show both majors with better hearts or
other than standing over them and cracking spades respectively. If your partner passes
your knuckles — or a whip. and the next hand bids three clubs, use
three diamonds as takeout, double as
balanced. On all other sequences, use the
first double as takeout, subsequent doubles
Dear Mr. Wolff: as defensive.
My partner opened one club, and I raised to
two with ♠ A-7-4, ♥ Q-9-7, ♦ A-10, ♣ Q-6-4-3-
2. This was an inverted raise, a one-round
force, but not forcing to game. My partner
now bid two diamonds. What is the best way
to go forward?
— Simple Simon, Portland, Ore.
by Bobby Wolff on September 3rd, 2012
“The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.”

— Oscar Wilde
Dealer: South North

Because the opening bid of two no-trump promised 20-21 Vul: East- ♠65
points, North had an easy raise to the small slam in no- West ♥A75
♦KJ4
trump. How do you plan to make 12 tricks after West ♣KQJ87
leads the club 10? West East
♠Q72 ♠ 10 9 4 3
♥ Q 10 9 2 ♥8643
You have 11 immediate winners along with the possibility
♦872 ♦Q653
of a winning finesse in spades, hearts or diamonds. While ♣ 10 9 3 ♣4
those who never get a two-way finesse wrong will have no South
♠AKJ8
problem, the rest of us have to find a plan that avoids ♥KJ
guessing which finesse to take. ♦ A 10 9
♣A652
The secret is to win the club ace and cash the three
remaining club honors. Next you should lead a spade 2 NT Pass 6 NT All pass
from dummy, intending to cover East’s card cheaply.
Suppose he plays the four, then your spade eight will Opening Lead: ♣10
force West’s queen and you will have 12 tricks
immediately. Even if West were able to win the trick with the spade 10 or nine, he would
then have to lead into one of your tenaces. Your 12th trick would then come in whichever
suit he chose to return.
You may ask “What would happen if East played the spade 10 or nine?” Well, the spade
jack would be taken by the queen, and the A-K-8 would then be good for three tricks if
West chooses to get off play in spades. As a red-suit return would also cost a trick, you
would still be certain of making 12 tricks.
The consequence is that this simple plan of covering the spade that East plays on the first
round of the suit guarantees 12 tricks no matter how the cards lie.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: All options are unattractive. A
South Holds: club lead is perhaps the least likely to cost a
♠Q82 trick, but I have a sneaking hankering for
♥AQ3 leading the ace of hearts, in the hope that at
♦Q52 least I may know what I should have done
♣J842 after seeing dummy. But I'll settle for the club
as less likely to arouse partner's ire if I'm
South West North East wrong. Without the queens on the side, I
Pass 1 NT might have yielded to temptation.
Pass 3 NT All pass
The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, August 21st, 2012
“It had been easy fighting in some plain,

Where Victory might hang in equal choice.
But all resistance against her is vain,
Who has th’ advantage both of Eyes and Voice.”
— Andrew Marvell
Dealer: North North

Today's deal comes from an internet game where South Vul: Both ♠AKQ5
did not take full advantage of his extra chance. ♥—
♦AKQ743
♣J62
After South’s one-no-trump rebid, a jump to three West East
diamonds by North would have been merely invitational, ♠ 10 9 8 2 ♠J7
♥Q52 ♥ 10 9 6 4 3
so North jumped in the fourth suit to hear more about
♦ 10 8 ♦J952
South’s hand. When all he could do was reiterate his heart ♣AKQ3 ♣54
strength, North was happy to settle for three no-trump. South
♠643
♥AKJ87
The defense was accurate. West started with three rounds ♦6
of clubs, East pitching a small heart, then switched to a ♣ 10 9 8 7
spade. Declarer won and cleared diamonds, giving West a
chance to discard a small heart to deny interest there too. 1♦ Pass
On winning his diamond jack, East astutely played back a 1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass
spade rather than a heart, hoping his partner would have 1 NT Pass 3♣ Pass
3♥ Pass 3 NT All pass
a spade stopper. And so it proved: Locked in dummy,
declarer had to concede the fifth trick to West. Opening Lead: ♣K
It looks as if declarer needed either spades or diamonds to break, and with neither suit
cooperating, he is destined to fail. However, there was an extra chance. When declarer
finds that diamonds don’t break, he should cash a second top spade before giving East
his diamond trick. Now, when East wins this trick, he has no more spades to play. He must
therefore lead a heart, allowing declarer access to the winners in his own hand as well as
to those in dummy, since South still has a spade left to reach all of dummy’s winners.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: With no fit and no great spade
South Holds: stopper, there is a case for going low and
♠ 10 9 8 2 bidding just one no-trump, which normally
♥Q52 has an upper limit of 10HCP. The alternative
♦ 10 8 is to bid two clubs and hope you can get to
♣AKQ3 game if partner produces a spade honor.
The first route looks simpler and more
South West North East realistic to me.
1♦ 1♠
?
The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, August 22nd, 2012
“They must conquer or die who've no retreat.”

— John Gay
Dealer: East North

A first look at West's hand might suggest that South is in Vul: East- ♠62
deep trouble in his four-spade contract. However, West ♥64
♦K874
provided declarer is careful, he can overcome even this ♣AK654
terrible trump break! West East
♠987543 ♠—
♥ 10 9 3 ♥AKQJ875
West leads the heart 10, overtaken by East with the jack
♦95 ♦ Q J 10 2
to play the heart king. ♣97 ♣J3
South
As long as declarer discards a diamond, the defenders ♠ A K Q J 10
♥2
can take only one more trick, a trump. ♦A63
♣ Q 10 8 2
On a diamond shift, declarer wins the ace, draws one
round of trumps, then plays on clubs. West can ruff the South West North East
4♥
third round but dummy’s trump six will take care of a heart
4♠ All pass
exit. If at trick three East plays a third round of hearts
instead of shifting, South discards a second diamond and Opening Lead: ♥10
ruffs in dummy. Next, he draws five rounds of trumps, then
plays on clubs. As West no longer has a heart left, he makes his long trump, but then has
to return a diamond. Declarer makes five trumps in hand, a heart ruff in dummy, the
diamond ace and three clubs. Note that if declarer ruffs the second heart, the contract
fails, as it allows the defense to make a heart and either three trumps or two trumps and a
diamond.
The only risk of discarding a diamond is a club ruff, but that is a highly unlikely risk,
particularly since East did not follow with his lowest heart on the opening lead — which he
would have done had he wanted the ruff.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: It is all too easy to raise or jump
South Holds: in diamonds and end up defending against a
♠62 spade contract on a diamond lead. Your
♥64 partner doesn't know about your source of
♦K874 tricks, but you can tell him right now. As a
♣AK654 passed hand, your jump to four clubs should
show a diamond fit and a source of tricks in
South West North East clubs. That may help your partner decide
1♥ whether to bid on, or what to lead if he ends
Pass 1♠ 2♦ 2♠
up on defense.
?
The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, August 23rd, 2012
“ … that it were possible

To undo things done; to call back yesterday!”
— Thomas Heywood
Dealer: North North

When deciding which opponent to play for length in a Vul: North- ♠J6
particular suit, you need to consider how you might South ♥KQ973
♦ Q 10 9 5
recover from a wrong guess beyond simply playing the ♣KJ
probabilities. West East
♠A8 ♠K9752
Against today’s three-no-trump contract, one West led ace ♥ 10 8 6 5 4 ♥J2
♦3 ♦J862
and another spade, ducked by East. Declarer played a ♣65432 ♣AQ
club to East, who continued with the king and a fourth South
♠ Q 10 4 3
spade. Declarer discarded two hearts from dummy and ♥A
now had to guess diamonds for his contract. He started by ♦AK74
♣ 10 9 8 7
playing the king (on which East carefully played the eight),
and when he followed with the ace, he had to go one South West North East
down. Pass 1♠
Pass Pass 2♥ Pass
In the other room, where the contract was doubled, the 2 NT Pass 3 NT Pass
Pass Dbl. All pass
defense started with three rounds of spades (dummy
discarding a heart). Declarer won and played a club, Opening Lead: ♠A
which East again won to clear the spades, dummy
discarding a club. On the spades West had discarded two clubs.
Declarer could assume from the double that West held hearts guarded. So it was possible
that he had his actual shape, though he might have fewer clubs and four diamonds.
However, declarer could see that if he played East for four diamonds, it wouldn’t matter if
he was wrong. He cashed the heart ace, then played the diamond ace and a diamond to
the queen. When West showed out, it was simple to pick up East’s jack. But suppose East
had shown out. Declarer would simply have played his top hearts and exited with a heart.
West now must return a diamond, giving declarer his trick back.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You do not want to jump to four
South Holds: hearts here; your hand has plenty of slam
♠J6 potential. The best way to show that is to
♥KQ973 cuebid two diamonds, then bid your hearts.
♦ Q 10 9 5 If your partner bypasses hearts, you will
♣KJ show five when you bid the suit at your next
turn.
1♦ Dbl. Pass
?
“Death, be not proud, though some have called thee

Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so….”
— John Donne
Dealer: South North

Today's deal comes from the Premier League, a domestic Vul: Neither ♠ A K 10 5 3
competition in the UK that is used to select the ♥A4
♦7652
international team. The heroine is the late Michelle ♣ 10 6
Brunner, who died last year. Ironically, Brunner had been West East
♠964 ♠82
co-opted herself as a substitute to the Hackett team after
♥8 ♥Q9653
the sudden and unexpected death of John Armstrong. ♦ A Q 10 8 ♦K3
♣QJ854 ♣K972
The auction to four spades was competitive, and a minor- South
♠QJ7
suit lead would have set this contract, but West led his ♥ K J 10 7 2
singleton heart — a reasonable choice. Careful play and ♦J94
♣A3
accurate timing was needed to emerge with 10 tricks, and
Michelle Brunner was well up to the task. South West North East
1 NT* Pass 2♥ Pass
Correctly spurning the free finesse because of the entry 2♠ 2 NT Dbl. 3♣
problems to the South hand, she accurately rose with 3♠ Pass 4♠ All pass
dummy’s heart ace, then drew trumps to remove the *12-14
ruffing danger. Next came the finesse of the heart seven,
Opening Lead: ♥8
followed by the heart king. It might look natural to discard
a club loser from dummy. However, it was critical to pitch a diamond rather than a club
from the board. Now came the heart jack, and Brunner ran this to East’s queen, pitching
another diamond from dummy. This established the heart 10, to take care of the club loser
in due course.
When East was in with the heart queen, he could cash two but not three diamond tricks.
Five spades, four hearts, plus the club ace — the entry to the fourth heart — added up to
declarer’s requisite 10 tricks. Very well played.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your partner's three-diamond
South Holds: cuebid shows extras and should initially be
♠QJ7 asking for a diamond stop. Presumably, he
♥ K J 10 9 2 has a good hand, either with a single-suiter
♦J94 in clubs or some degree of heart support.
♣A3 With your extras, you just want your partner
to pick the best game now, and the easiest
South West North East way to do that is to bid four diamonds and
1♦ 2♣ 2♦ abide by his decision of a final contract.
2♥ Pass 3♦ Pass
?
“There is nothing stable in the world; uproars your only music.”

— John Keats
Dealer: South North

At last year's Lederer Invitational Teams, held in London, Vul: Neither ♠ 7 4
two Souths reached the pushy four hearts doubled. Each ♥A52
♦764
defending pair had a chance to defeat the game, but both ♣K7543
fell at a late hurdle. West East
♠ K J 10 9 6 2 ♠53
♥ K 10 6 ♥93
Against John Salisbury, West led the diamond king.
♦K ♦ J 10 9 3 2
Declarer won and exited with the club queen, won by ♣J92 ♣ A 10 8 6
East, who naturally enough led the diamond jack. South
♠AQ8
Salisbury covered, and West had to discard to beat the ♥QJ874
contract. When he ruffed and exited with a club, Salisbury ♦AQ85
♣Q
could ruff and run the heart queen, covered with the king
and ace. Now South had just enough entries to establish South West North East
the long club and play to ruff a diamond to dummy. Then 1♥ 2♠ Pass Pass
he could cash the winning clubs to dispose of his losing Dbl. Rdbl. 3♥ 3♠
4♥ Dbl. All pass
spades for plus-590.
Opening Lead: ♦K
At another table, after the same first two tricks, East,
David Burn, did extremely well by winning his club ace and shifting to the spade five
instead of leading the diamond jack. Now declarer, Zia Mahmood, knew that the spade
finesse was hopeless, so he put in the eight. West won with the nine, and now exited with
a spade, fatally, giving declarer 10 tricks. A club would have been equally unsuccessful
here — West gets endplayed, forced to lead a spade or allow the long club to be
developed. However, West did have an escape, albeit one that is very hard to find at the
table. He could have exited with a small heart, playing his partner for the trump nine, after
which declarer has no way home.
BID WITH THE ACES

South Holds: powerful hand with his cuebid. Since you
♠74 virtually denied a four-card major with your
♥A52 first bid, you can bid two hearts now to show
♦764 your values and your three-card suit. This
♣K7543 will let your partner know where you live and
he can tell you whether he has one major,
South West North East both majors, or club support.
1♦ Dbl. 1 NT
2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass
?
ANSWER: I believe the pass is best played

as "nothing to say," not for penalties. As the
Dear Mr. Wolff: doubler, your responsibility is to show
How do you feel about overcalling on a four- quantity, not quality. Here bid one heart and
card suit? For example, if you held ♠ 3-2, rely on your partner to remove if he cannot
♥ A-Q-10-7, ♦ A-Q-7-2, ♣ J-10-4, would you stand the contract. Just for the record, your
consider overcalling one heart over an partner should always bid the cheapest
opening bid of one club or one diamond? If rescue suit himself if he has four cards in it
yes, would you feel the same way if the hand — in this case by bidding one heart over the
was somewhat weaker — say the diamond redouble, which is not lead-directing.
suit with the nine instead of the queen?
— Short-Change Artist, Newark, N.J. Dear Mr. Wolff:
In our private game we had the two hands
ANSWER: Overcalling on a good four-card below and had to try to reach the best spot.
suit with opening values makes sense only if What would you have recommended? The
you have a little extra shape on the side. In dealer had ♠ A-K-J-10, ♥ A-Q-7-5-4, ♦ A-K-
other words, don't do it with a 4-3-3-3 Q-J, ♣ –; the responder held ♠ 9-8-3-2, ♥ J,
pattern. Your example looks like a ♦ 9-2, ♣ A-Q-J-8-5-3.
reasonable one-heart overcall rather than — Best Fit Forward, Miami, Fla.
one diamond.
ANSWER: I think I'd respond three clubs to

Dear Mr. Wolff: the two club opening bid. Now the strong
What is the best use for Stayman in hand bids hearts, the weak hand spades,
response to your partner's opening bid of and the strong hand jumps to five no-trump.
one no-trump, followed by converting the This last call is the grand slam force: "Tell
response of a red suit to two spades? me how many trump honors you have!" After
Should it be weak, strong or invitational? the response to show zero, the partnership
comes to a stop in six spades.
— A Bid for All Seasons, Springfield, Mass.
Dear Mr. Wolff:

ANSWER: I think it is unrewarding to use
the sequence as weak with both majors and I have been following the junior tournaments
longer spades. (Transfer to spades with that from around the world on BBO and I haven't
hand.) And with game-forcing hands you can seen the U.S. players do well recently. Are
start with a transfer rather than Stayman. there any encouraging signs for the future?
However, a difficult hand to describe is one — Looking Forward, Twin Falls, Idaho
that is unbalanced and invitational with five
spades (either a 5-4-3-1 or 5-5 pattern). So
that is what I use the sequence for.
ANSWER: There are always good
individuals; we sometimes have to rely on
organizers to put them together and train
Dear Mr. Wolff: them — no easy task. I note, though, that in
When you double an opening bid and the countries where bridge is part of the
next hand redoubles, is your partner's pass curriculum or has Olympic training schemes
for penalty? I would have thought so if the in place — especially Israel and Poland —
suit opened was a potentially short minor, results have been stellar in the last decade.
but if that is not the case, how does the Perhaps we need to work harder to match
doubler rescue himself when he has one this!
good suit and one weak one? For example,
after one diamond is doubled and redoubled,
what should the doubler do at his next turn
with: ♠ A-Q-3-2, ♥ 10-7-4-3, ♦ Q-9, ♣ A-K-
10?
— Panic-Stricken, San Francisco, Calif.
“When the hurlyburly's done,

When the battle’s lost and won….”
Dealer: South North

At last year's Lederer tournament, Nicola Smith and Sally Vul: Both ♠AJ7
Brock demonstrated the form that has won them three ♥K94
♦ A K 10 9 3
world titles as partners or teammates. And they needed all ♣A8
their experience to break the seemingly impregnable slam West East
♠Q5 ♠962
reached in today's deal by Norwegian Thomas Charlsen.
♥762 ♥QJ85
♦654 ♦Q72
North’s two-club call was an artificial game-force, and two ♣Q9642 ♣ 10 5 3
no-trump showed a three-card spade raise. This was South
♠ K 10 8 4 3
followed by Key Card Blackwood to reach the good spade ♥ A 10 3
slam. Nicola led the heart six, consistent with her actual ♦J8
♣KJ7
holding, but also consistent with an original holding of J-7-
6, J-8-7-6 or J-8-7-6-2. Sally defended well by false- South West North East
carding with the queen when dummy played low, and 1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass
Charlsen took his normal line in spades of low to the ace, 2♦ Pass 2 NT* Pass
3 NT Pass 4 NT Pass
followed by the running of the jack, so that he could pick 5♥ Pass 6♠ All pass
up Q-(9)-x-x with East.
*three-card spade raise
When Smith won her spade queen, she continued with Opening Lead: ♥6
the heart seven, and Charlsen decided to believe the
opponents rather than playing to establish diamonds with one ruff. When he put in the
heart nine, it was all over, and an unbeatable slam had been defeated.
Some commentators on Bridge Base thought Nicola would not lead from the heart jack
against a slam, but when you look, you will see that the defenders have all four queens,
so they might well have been pushed to find a safe lead. They had to lead some suit after
all, and J-x-x-(x) might well have been the least evil. This defense earned Nicola and Sally
the award for the best-defended hand.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: On an auction of this sort, where
South Holds: declarer may well have a void, leading an
♠Q73 ace looks like a bad idea. A trump looks safe
♥J74 enough; I might choose the seven for
♦ A 10 5 deceptive purposes in case partner has the
♣ 10 7 5 2 bare queen, but there is very little to choose
from among the small spot-cards.
Pass 1♥
Pass 3♥ Pass 6♥
All pass
“'Oh! Love,' they said, 'is King of Kings,

And Triumph is his Crown.
Earth fades in flame before his wings,
And Sun and Moon bow down.’”
— Rupert Brooke
Dealer: South North

Today's deal from the 2011 Lederer requires no skill in the Vul: North- ♠K97654
play, since I am confident every reader of my column South ♥AQ9
♦A72
would find a way to take 13 tricks. But bidding to the ♣K
grand slam is another matter. Let's take a look at the sole West East
♠J3 ♠Q
pair who not only managed it, but found their way to
♥J852 ♥ 10 6 4 3
seven no-trump ♦ Q J 10 9 ♦654
♣762 ♣QJ943
There is a bit of a myth that Zia Mahmood is a law unto South
♠ A 10 8 2
himself in the auction, but he showed that he could bid ♥K7
constructively on this hand. However, it was David Gold’s ♦K83
♣ A 10 8 5
judgment that made it all possible. The opening no-trump
showed 15-17, but the aces and kings, coupled with the South West North East
two four-card suits and the builders in the long-suits mean 1 NT Pass 2♥* Pass
that this was an accurate assessment of the hand’s true 3♠** Pass 4♣ Pass
4♦ Pass 4 NT Pass
worth. 5♥ Pass 5 NT Pass
6♥ Pass 7 NT All pass
When Zia transferred to spades, Gold re-evaluated his
*transfer to spades
hand, breaking the transfer with a jump to three spades.
**super-accept
He did have another sequence to show a suitable hand
for spades with a maximum in high-cards, so he was Opening Lead: ♦Q
limited by failing to do that.
After two cuebids, Zia bid Roman Keycard Blackwood for spades, finding the two missing
aces, then asked for specific kings that had not been previously cued. East (who had
already showed the diamond king) now showed the heart king, and Zia thought he could
count six spades, three hearts, two diamonds and two clubs, and indeed was able to claim
the grand slam when spades broke 2-1. This won the pair the award for the best-bid hand.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: There is no need to commit the
South Holds: hand to four spades yet. Three no-trump, or
♠ A 10 8 2 even a part-score, may be the highest
♥K7 scoring spot. Start with a two -diamond
♦K83 cuebid to show a spade raise. You can
♣ A 10 8 5 always bid game later when you have found
out more about the hand.
1♦ 1♠ Dbl.
?
The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, September 1st, 2012
“An event has happened, upon which it is difficult to speak, and impossible to be silent.”
— Edmund Burke
Dealer: North North

The world championships have just finished in Lille, so to Vul: Both ♠Q95
mark that, this week's deals come from the last event, four ♥ 10 4 2
♦KQ8
years ago, in Beijing. ♣J963
West East
Our first deal features a double-game swing in the match ♠K7632 ♠ A J 10 8 4
♥Q ♥A9876
between China and Hungary. Would you open one spade
♦653 ♦2
as East or make a one-spade overcall as West? When the ♣A542 ♣87
Hungarians were East-West, both passed at their first South
♠—
opportunity. North responded one no-trump to the one- ♥KJ53
diamond opening, East cuebid two diamonds to show the ♦ A J 10 9 7 4
♣ K Q 10
majors, and Harangozo now jumped to four spades over
South’s three-diamond call to end the auction. He was not South West North East
taxed to come to 10 tricks since, after the one-no-trump Pass 1♠
response, he could not misguess the spade suit. 2♦ 2 NT* 3♦ Pass
3♥ 4♠ Pass Pass
5♦ Dbl. All pass
In the other room the auction was as shown. It takes a
heart lead and a heart ruff (or a heart switch after the *Spade raise
unlikely lead of the club ace) to defeat five diamonds. Opening Lead: ♠2
Even after West led a spade, however, Peter Trenka had
to play well to land the doubled contract.
He ruffed the opening lead, pulled trump, then led a club to the king and ace. He ruffed
the spade return, discarded a heart on the fourth round of clubs, and called for a low
heart. With a count on the West hand, declarer knew his only chance was to find him with
a singleton heart queen. There were no more entries to dummy, so it would not have
helped to find East with both missing heart honors. Declarer therefore put up the heart
king and was rewarded when the queen fell. He lost just two tricks for plus 750.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your partner has shown a strong
South Holds: hand with both minors and implicitly short
♠Q95 hearts, so your cards appear to be working
♥ 10 4 2 overtime. The choice is to give preference to
♦KQ8 three diamonds (which sounds like three-
♣J963 card support since you did not raise at your
previous turn) or to raise to four clubs. I
South West North East prefer the first option.
Pass 1♦ Pass
1 NT Dbl. Rdbl. 2♥
Pass Pass 3♣ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, September 2nd, 2012
ANSWER: This is a tough one; You would

overcall one spade over one diamond
Dear Mr. Wolff: without a flicker, but this case is not so clear.
I assume you and your partner play For what it is worth, I would bid except facing
Michaels. What would it mean to you if, after a passed partner at teams or rubber. But
your RHO bid one diamond, you passed, make my diamond seven the club seven,
your LHO bid two clubs, and your partner and double makes good sense too.
then bid three clubs? I bid this with ♠ Q-9-8-
3-2, ♥ J-10-9-7-4, ♦ K-Q-9, ♣ —, thinking that
it would be obvious that, since I didn't Dear Mr. Wolff:
double, I had less than an opening bid and
had two five-card majors. Was I wrong? We play New Minor Forcing for only one
round so that we can find a 5-3 major fit, and
— How's That Again?, Augusta, Ga. then decide whether game is there by
making an invitational or help-suit bid. Is this
standard, or should we play it as game-
ANSWER: You are theoretically right. But forcing?
since double is takeout showing a good — Musical Chairs, Laredo, Texas
hand and two no-trump would be unusual for
the unbid suits, it is at least arguable that
there is potentially some confusion.
Incidentally, I'd pass your hand rather than ANSWER: If you play New Minor, then you
bid. Why tip the opponents off to bad breaks should use a direct jump by responder at his
when there is virtually no chance that the second turn as invitational, and new minor
hand belongs to your side? then three of a new suit as game-forcing.
Similarly responder's jumps at his second
turn after three suits have been bid (as
opposed to a no-trump rebid) are ALL
Dear Mr. Wolff: invitational, while all game forces go through
Recently, during a game of rubber bridge, I fourth suit.
was the declarer. I was the fourth player to a
trick led from my left. I somehow detached
the wrong card (too small in value to win the Dear Mr. Wolff:
trick) from my hand. I realized it was the
wrong card when I tabled it. I then What is the sensible meaning of a sequence
exchanged it for the card I had intended to where the partner of a no-trump opener uses
play to win the trick. My defenders would not Stayman, then in response to a major bids
allow me to correct this error. Which law the other major ? Should that be natural or
should apply? artificial — and what would it show?
— Lucky Luke, Tucson Ariz. — High Hopes, Torrance, Calif.
ANSWER: In layman's terms you can only ANSWER: After the Stayman inquiry finds a
change your card if it was played with no major, you should use responder's jumps as
intention of playing it. The law refers to splinter raises of that major. But bidding the
dropping a card, not playing a card that was other major at the three-level shows a
wrong. Rightly or wrongly you put a card on balanced hand agreeing partner's major, with
the table — not the one that you should slam interest. Meanwhile, a jump to four no-
have, but the one you intended to play trump is quantitative, without a fit for
before you realized it was a mistake. You partner's major.
have an extremely high threshold for your
play to qualify as "accidentally played."
Dear Mr. Wolff:

With this hand would you bid over a weak
two diamonds: ♠ J-9-8-3-2, ♥ A-7-4, ♦ Q-9-7,
♣ A-K? Would your answer change
depending on the form of scoring, on
position, or on vulnerability?
— Plumb Tuckered, Grand Junction, Colo.
The Aces on Bridge: Monday, September 3rd, 2012
“From things that differ comes the fairest attunement; all things are born through strife.”
— Heraclitus
Dealer: South North

Today's deal has two problems in one. In both cases you Vul: East- ♠AJ765
play in six spades, but in one case you receive the West ♥J5
♦K65
unfriendly heart lead, which sets up a winner for the ♣ Q 10 7
defenders immediately. In the other case you receive a West East
♠83 ♠ 10 4
passive club lead. How should your approaches differ?
♥ Q 10 8 3 ♥K9762
♦J83 ♦Q42
The deal, like all this week’s deals, comes from the world ♣J632 ♣985
championships four years ago in Beijing. South
♠KQ92
♥A4
West led the heart three and declarer won with the ace, ♦ A 10 9 7
drew trumps, eliminated the clubs ending in hand, and ♣AK4
exited with a heart. East allowed West to win and he
exited with a low diamond. (I’ve been told the jack is the 2 NT Pass 3♥ Pass
best shot, but it never seems to work when I try it.) 3♠ Pass 5 NT* Pass
Declarer took East’s queen with the ace, and the diamond 6♠ All pass
finesse gave him plus-920. *Offering a choice of slams
In the other room the lead was a trump. Is there a better Opening Lead: ♥3
plan than the one described above? Yes, your best play is
to draw trumps and go after diamonds to establish a discard for your heart loser. It is a
very close decision whether to lead them from the top or finesse twice against West. So
the best approach is to test clubs before playing diamonds. If West shows any real spade
or club length, you should go for two finesses against her by leading to the nine, then to
the king and finessing. If West appears to be shorter in clubs than East, play diamonds
from the top.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: On an auction of this sort there
South Holds: seems to be no obvious urgency to lead
♠632 diamonds. If declarer is going to set up clubs
♥K32 or hearts successfully, he will probably be
♦ K 10 7 4 making his contract whatever you do. But
♣Q86 what may be relevant is the need to kill a ruff
in dummy. And when your side holds the
South West North East balance of high cards, as appears to be the
1♦ 1♠ case here, repeated trump leads might be
2♦ 2♠ All pass effective.
The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, September 4th, 2012
“Throb, baffled and curious brain! throw out questions and answers!
Suspend here and everywhere, eternal float of solution!”
— Walt Whitman
Dealer: East North

In today's deal from the finals of the Women's World Vul: North- ♠A65
Championship between England and China, which South ♥K
♦K532
finished in a 1 IMP win for England, a nice defensive play ♣K9765
paid dividends. West East
♠94 ♠KQJ73
Both Wests opened a conventional call of two diamonds ♥QJ8753 ♥ 10 6 4
♦87 ♦Q96
to show a weak-two in one major or the other. The English ♣A84 ♣J2
North had no convenient way into the auction on the first South
♠ 10 8 2
round, then had to guess whether to bid or pass on the ♥A92
next. The singleton heart king was of dubious value, and ♦ A J 10 4
♣ Q 10 3
her main suit was hardly robust: She decided to pass.
The defenders led a trump and declarer was easily held to Pass
six tricks, minus-150. Pass 2♦ Dbl. 2♥
3 NT All pass
By contrast the Chinese North took immediate action,
showing a balanced 13-15, after which South jumped to Opening Lead: ♥7
the obvious game.
West led the heart seven, declarer winning with dummy’s king. With some good guesses
11 tricks are available, but when declarer started with a club to the queen, Heather
Dhondy followed smoothly with the eight!
Naturally, declarer now ran the club 10. East won with the jack, cashed the spade king,
and then went back to hearts. Declarer ducked, won the next heart, and knocked out the
club ace, assuming that East would win the trick. All she would then have needed to do
was locate the diamond queen, except that it was West who now produced the club ace
and proceeded to cash her heart tricks for plus-300.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: A double here by you would be
South Holds: takeout but would normally see you hold
♠ 10 8 2 both majors. Your choice is a simple call of
♥A92 two diamonds, an aggressive three-diamond
♦ A J 10 4 bid, or a double, expecting to play a 4-3 fit.
♣ Q 10 3 I'd bid just two diamonds — You are a long
way from game, but if you can make
South West North East something significant, partner will surely bid
1♣ Dbl. 2♣ again.
?
The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, September 5th, 2012
“Ignorance of the law excuses no man….”

— John Selden
Dealer: East North

In today's deal, from the World Olympiad four years ago in Vul: East- ♠ J 10 4 3
Beijing, West has a splendid hand, but until he finds a fit, West ♥AK83
♦84
he can hardly drive his hand to the four-level, ♣ 10 6 3
West East
Few pairs judged the East-West cards that well; let’s focus ♠— ♠A976
♥64 ♥ Q 10 9 5 2
on the match between Norway and China.
♦ A J 10 7 3 ♦52
♣AK9754 ♣J8
In one room Glenn Groetheim as West played four clubs South
doubled after he had overcalled two no-trump to show the ♠KQ852
♥J7
minors, then had doubled three spades. The defenders ♦KQ96
cashed their hearts and played a third heart, ruffed with ♣Q2
the queen and overruffed. That had the effect of
promoting a trump trick for the defenders, to go with their Pass
diamond winner, for down one. 1♠ 2 NT 3♠ Pass
Pass Dbl. All pass
It was good, but not good enough. In the other room the
Chinese West overcalled two no-trump and also balanced Opening Lead: ♣K
with a double of three spades, which East gambled to
pass for want of anything better to do. After three rounds of clubs, ruffed and overruffed,
declarer played the side-suits, ruffing diamonds high and hearts low, and made nine tricks.
In England v. Romania both East-West pairs defended to three spades (one contract
doubled, one not). Both Wests led three rounds of clubs and both Easts ruffed in and were
overruffed. In each case declarer handled the trump spots sensibly to bring home nine
tricks. None of these three Easts noticed they had a guaranteed way to set the hand. All
they had to do was discard a diamond on the third club, instead of ruffing in, to ensure
they could collect their ruff and beat three spades.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your partner is a passed hand.
South Holds: Do you really think he has a long club suit
♠KQ852 with which he can back in at the four-level
♥J7 after not being able to open? Of course not!
♦KQ96 He has a real fit for spades, and a hand
♣Q2 inviting you to lead clubs against the
opponents' heart contract. Bid four spades
South West North East now and await developments.
Pass 1♥
1♠ 3♥ 4♣ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, September 6th, 2012
“Nothing contributes so much to tranquilize the mind as a steady purpose — a point on

which the soul may fix its intellectual eye.”
— Mary Shelley
Dealer: West North

Today's deal was played in the quarterfinals of the world Vul: Both ♠ A 10 9 6
championships in Beijing four years ago. At most tables ♥ K 10 9 7 6 2
♦—
East showed both minors, West selected diamonds, and ♣AQ4
North doubled for takeout. Can you guess what should West East
♠KJ43 ♠5
happen next? Let's see what happened in the match
♥J53 ♥A8
between the Netherlands and Germany. ♦Q43 ♦AK876
♣ 10 8 7 ♣KJ962
In the first room the German South, Joseph Piekarek, sat South
♠Q872
for the double of three diamonds. The heart lead got the ♥Q4
defenders off on the right track (not everybody found it). ♦ J 10 9 5 2
♣53
Declarer now had no chance to avoid losing one trick in
each major, two clubs and two trumps, down 500. South West North East
Pass 1♥ 2 NT
The Dutch South, Huub Bertens, escaped from three Pass 3♦ Pass 3♠
diamonds doubled to three spades, and I’m sure if the Pass Pass Dbl. All pass
German East-West had known their teammates had
Opening Lead: ♣7
collected 500, they would have happily conceded 140. But
East chose to double Bertens in the pass-out seat to show extras for his two-suited action,
a good idea in theory. West passed it out, and his opening club lead went to the queen
and king. But that persuaded East to continue the suit rather than shift to diamonds.
Declarer won the club ace, then led a heart to the queen and another heart to the 10 and
ace. Now he ruffed a club, led a spade to the six, cashed the heart king, and led a fourth
heart, pitching a second diamond.
West could ruff in, but Bertens could trump the next diamond in dummy, draw one more
round of spades, then run hearts and give West his trump trick for plus-730.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You have more than enough in
South Holds: the way of shape and values to bid two
♠Q872 spades now. Remember, at your second bid
♥Q4 you showed a bad hand and strongly
♦ J 10 9 5 2 suggested no major. In context you have
♣53 real extras in high cards, and real additional
values in terms of shape.
1♣ Dbl. Pass
1♦ 1♥ 2♦ 2♥
?
The Aces on Bridge: Friday, September 7th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on September 21st, 2012
“A Dresden shepherdess was one day

Milking a small Delft cow,
When a Sevres Marquis came along —
I saw him smile and bow.”
— George Hellman
Dealer: East North

When the world championships took place in Beijing four Vul: Neither ♠AK52
years ago, the main event followed the qualifying stages. ♥Q82
♦K85
Here is a sparkling piece of play from Round 16 of that ♣J93
event. West East
♠Q97 ♠ 10 4 3
♥96 ♥53
As Mark Horton, a journalist, remarked, one of the
♦ A J 10 7 2 ♦964
delights of Beijing is the opportunity to enjoy its famous ♣ K 10 7 ♣AQ542
Peking duck, but that is not the only dish it offers. This South
♠J86
cosmopolitan city ofers a wide range of international ♥ A K J 10 7 4
cuisine. Poland’s Ewa Harasimowicz conjured up a ♦Q3
♣86
wonderful dish at the table. It featured a coulis of
squeeze, a dash of throw-in garnished with an endplay, South West North East
the whole thing being stirred with a Morton’s Fork. Pass
1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass
Against four hearts West led the club seven. East took the 2♥ Pass 4♥ All pass
ace and returned the suit, West winning and playing a
Opening Lead: ♣7
third round, ruffed by declarer. Knowing that East, who
had already showed up with the club ace-queen, was unlikely to have the diamond ace,
declarer played a low diamond toward dummy’s king. West could not afford to play the
ace or the spade loser would go away. When the diamond king held, declarer settled
down to run the trump suit.
In the five-card ending, West had three spades and the ace-jack of diamonds, but had to
discard the diamond jack on the last trump. Now declarer could exit with the queen of
diamonds to endplay West to lead a spade around to declarer’s jack.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: There is no single right answer
South Holds: here (and my suggested answer would get
♠AK52 me burned at the stake in 14 states in the
♥Q82 United States), but I believe that with only
♦K95 three clubs you should rebid one no-trump,
♣J93 not one spade. If you are facing extras,
partner will be able to find a spade fit. If he
South West North East has limited values, you do not want to make
1♣ Pass 1♥ Pass him think you have a shapely hand when
?
you are as balanced as possible.
The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, September 8th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on September 22nd, 2012
“Who overcomes
By force hath overcome but half his foe.”
— John Milton
Dealer: South North

Against your six-spade contract the opening lead is the Vul: North- ♠ K 10 4
diamond three. You win the ace, RHO playing the eight. South ♥ A K 10 6 4 2
♦A64
Plan the play to protect against as many bad breaks as ♣3
possible. West East
♠QJ3 ♠9
After winning dummy’s diamond ace, play the spade ace, ♥5 ♥J983
♦Q973 ♦ K 10 8 5 2
and now switch your attention to hearts. Lead out the ♣ K 10 8 7 6 ♣J42
queen, then play to the heart king. South
♠A87652
♥Q7
If West discards on the second heart, win, ruff a heart, ♦J
then lead a trump to dummy and run the hearts. It doesn’t ♣AQ95
matter if the third heart is overruffed since you can ruff a
diamond in dummy, then draw the last trump; equally, 1♠ Pass 2♥ Pass
West’s ruffing in on the second heart would clearly be 2♠ Pass 4♣ Pass
fatal. 4♠ Pass 5♦ Pass
6♣ Pass 6♠ All pass
If it was East who could ruff the second heart to play a
Opening Lead: ♦3
club, win with the ace, cross in spades (drawing the
opponent’s last trump), then ruff a heart, ruff a club, and run the hearts.
What happens if hearts are 5-0? If RHO ruffs the heart queen, you may still survive in
much the same way as before. You simply need to take a heart finesse somewhere along
the line after drawing the last trump. If LHO ruffs the heart queen, you will still survive if he
does not have a third trump to play. (You have just enough entries to set up the long
heart.) All in all, six spades makes except against 4-0 trumps or against a combined very
bad heart break and trump break, when nothing would have worked.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: The hand is too good for a rebid
South Holds: in either hearts or spades. Best is to cuebid
♠ K 10 4 two clubs, simply showing a good hand,
♥ A K 10 6 4 2 planning to bid two spades over two of a red
♦A64 suit from partner. This way your partner will
♣3 know of real extras opposite (typically extra
high-cards rather than four-card trump
South West North East support). If you play — as I do — that one
1♣ spade promises five, cuebid, then jump to
1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass three spades to force to game.
?
The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, September 9th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on September 23rd, 2012
ANSWER: Because your partner's double

can be up to a king lighter than in the direct
Dear Mr. Wolff: seat, you need a little more to jump here
If your partner opens one club, would you than in direct seat. I'd consider this hand on
ever consider responding three no-trump, the cusp of a two-spade call over a pass on
holding ♠ A-Q-10, ♥ 9-8-3-2, ♦ A-7-4, ♣ Q-9- my right, but over a one-heart call I'd be
7? Or would you bid one heart? happy just to bid one spade and get to show
some values in the process — say 7-10
— High-Wire Act, Monterey, Calif. points.
ANSWER: I believe that Eddie Kantar once Dear Mr. Wolff:

posited that on moderate hands with a very
weak four-card major you might respond one I'm looking for books of declarer-play hands
no-trump for fear of being raised with three to try to improve. What collections of deals
trumps perhaps. But with a decent hand, that do you recommend?
does not apply. Over a raise of hearts you — Bookworm, Great Falls, Mont.
might simply bid three no-trump to offer the
choice of games. Concealing the major has
a variety of ways to lose — not least that in
three no-trump you might receive a painful ANSWER: Of the current crop of writers
heart lead! Eddie Kantar and Julian Pottage produce
splendid work. The former has works
designed for all possible levels of players.
The late Hugh Kelsey and Terrence Reese
Dear Mr. Wolff: always challenged readers with more-
We play Chicago bridge, and one person in advanced ideas. Paul Lukacs also produced
our group claims that you cannot be doubled very interesting deals.
into game. Another says that if you are
doubled, you would get game.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
— Official Scorer, Midland, Mich.
I enjoy your bridge column, though much of
the bidding is of a considerably more
ANSWER: The key is that at duplicate you complex nature than my friends and I use.
use the same basic score as at rubber. To And I love the quotations that begin the
score below the line you must make a columns and wonder if they are available as
contract – overtricks going above the line. If a collection or if they have been randomly
you are doubled, the value of the doubled gathered by you.
contract goes below the line. Let’s look at a — Marseillaise, Raleigh, N.C.
contract of three diamonds. It is worth 60
(plus 50 for partscore) or 110 at duplicate.
Three diamonds doubled is 120 plus 50 plus
either 300 or500 for game, thus 470 or 670. ANSWER: I'm often in retrospect surprised
What makes it game is that the number to be that I don't get more questions about the
doubled up is 60, which gets you to more quotations. My routine is to find a theme
than 100. Check out duplicate bridge scoring word from the article and consult a couple of
here. dictionaries of quotations to find something
relevant. Once in a while I'll look for a
popular song along the theme of the puzzle
— but nothing more organized than that.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
When responding to a takeout double in the
balancing seat, how do I judge the level to
bid at — and what do my doubles mean if
the opening bidder acts again? Say I hold:
♠ K-8-4-2, ♥ A-J-3, ♦ Q-6-4-3, ♣ 10-2 and
hear one diamond passed around to my
partner, who doubles. What would you bid if
RHO passes, and what if he bids one heart?
— Balancing Act, Danville, Ill.
The Aces on Bridge: Monday, September 10th, 2012
“You may tempt the upper classes

With your villainous demitasses,
But Heaven will protect the working girl.”
— Edgar Smith
Dealer: East North

When defending against a major-suit game, you might be Vul: Neither ♠AK6
tempted to try to cash an ace in another suit. But ♥QJ8
♦ 10 7 6 3
sometimes you have to resist temptation. ♣763
West East
Not every North-South reached four spades in this deal ♠J2 ♠ 10 9 8
♥ K 10 7 6 5 4 3 ♥A92
from the 2002 European Teams Championships. Those
♦92 ♦84
who did, but did not receive a club lead, had no difficulty in ♣AJ ♣KQ542
coming to 10 tricks by way of five spades and five South
♠Q7543
diamonds. However, in the match between Israel and ♥—
Poland, Michael Barel had no problem leading clubs after ♦AKQJ5
♣ 10 9 8
Yoram Aviram’s helpful hint in the auction. The four-club
call guaranteed heart support and showed where his South West North East
values lay. Aviram’s bid led Barel to the best lead, the club Pass
ace. East overtook the club jack continuation, then cashed 1♠ 3♥ 3♠ 4♣
4♦ Pass 4♠ All pass
the club king. It must have been tempting to continue with
the heart ace, as West’s overcall promised no more than a Opening Lead: ♣A
six-card suit. But when West pitched a low heart, Aviram
realized that his partner had started with a seven-card suit, and the heart winner was not
going to stand up. Had West started with six hearts, he would have pitched a high heart.
Equally, with his trump holding of 10-9-8, Aviram appreciated that West only needed to
hold the spade jack or queen, be it doubleton or singleton, for the contract to be defeated.
So he continued with a fourth round of clubs, and sure enough, West ruffed with the
spade jack, elevating East’s trump holding to the setting trick.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Lead the spade jack. When
South Holds: leading partner’s suit, lead the top of a two-
♠ J 10 6 2 card sequence. The spade jack might cost
♥K975 you a trick in the suit if partner were short,
♦AQ4 but when your side has nine-plus cards in a
♣97 suit, leading the top honor should be safe
and more revealing than a low card.
1♦ 1♠ 2♣
2♦ Pass 2♠ 3♣
3♠ 4♣ All pass
“Pleasure might cause her read, reading might make her know,
Knowledge might pity win, and pity grace obtain….”
— Sir Philip Sidney
Dealer: South North

I am always happy to receive deals from my readers. It Vul: Neither ♠ A Q 5 3
doesn't matter that they didn't find the right play at the ♥K853
♦ K 10
table, as long as the theme is an interesting one. We can ♣AK5
all learn from real-life hands, even when not played by West East
♠K9762 ♠ 10 8
experts.
♥62 ♥QJ74
♦52 ♦J9874
Today, Orville St. Clair, declarer in six no-trump, won the ♣ J 10 7 3 ♣98
helpful spade lead in hand with the jack. West should South
♠J4
surely have led a heart here — not that it would have ♥ A 10 9
worked out any better. ♦AQ63
♣Q642
Now declarer finessed the spade queen, more to find out
how many tricks he needed in the other suits than with 1♣ Pass 1♥ Pass
great confidence that it would hold. Once the finesse 1 NT Pass 2♠ Pass
worked, South was up to 11 sure winners, so correctly 3♥ Pass 6 NT All pass
decided to set up a threat in hearts by leading a low one
Opening Lead: ♠6
from dummy and putting in the nine. He was delighted to
see it hold the trick.
Of course, if East had split his honors, declarer would have had 12 top tricks. As it was,
South was now playing for a 13th winner. The best order to take the tricks is the heart ace,
then one club and the spade ace, discarding a heart from hand. East has to pitch a
diamond, and declarer must decide if he had begun with three diamonds and four clubs
(when the three top diamonds would squeeze him in clubs and hearts) or with his actual
hand, when cashing the clubs squeezes East in diamonds and hearts. St. Clair read the
position accurately and brought home 13 tricks.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Jumping to three no-trump would
South Holds: be premature. You could be cold for a slam
♠J4 or end up playing in a hopeless spot, facing
♥ A 10 9 unexpected shortage in a major suit. The
♦AQ63 simple choice is to bid two clubs and hope to
♣Q642 get diamonds in later; or to raise diamonds
via the cue-bid, then bid no-trump next.
South West North East Given the suit disparities, put me down as a
1♦ 1♥ cue-bidder. Switch the minors and I'd go the
?
other way.
“Life is the art of drawing sufficient conclusions from insufficient premises.”

— Samuel Butler
Dealer: South North

Today's deal emphasizes the point that bridge is not a Vul: East- ♠ 10 8 6
game that you can learn by mastering one theme and West ♥74
♦AKJ54
extrapolating it to other deals. ♣J73
West East
First of all, let’s see what happened at the unsuccessful ♠K954 ♠732
♥ Q J 10 9 8 ♥532
table in a teams match. Against three no-trump, the heart
♦7 ♦Q862
queen was led to the ace. The diamond 10 went to the ♣K84 ♣Q95
ace, and declarer took the losing spade finesse. The next South
♠AQJ
heart was ducked and South won the third rouind of ♥AK6
hearts, throwing a spade from dummy. At this point he ♦ 10 9 3
♣ A 10 6 2
must have felt confident he was going to succeed. After
all, if West had the diamond queen, the finesse would South West North East
work. If East had it, the hearts were not a threat. 2 NT Pass 3 NT All pass
But when declarer led the diamond nine and West showed Opening Lead: ♥Q
out, East ducked. Now the contract was no longer
makable. With no entries to dummy there were just eight tricks.
Declarer had in a sense done well. If he takes the diamond finesse immediately, East
clears hearts and the contract will depend on the success or failure of the spade finesse.
However, at the other table South led the spade jack from his hand at trick two, a truly
unnatural play, but one that would generate nine tricks no matter how the defense played.
When West took the trick and continued the attack on hearts, South ducked, won the third
round of hearts, and now ran the diamond 10. Whether East took this or the next
diamond, South had four diamond winners and nine tricks.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: A simple raise to two spades
South Holds: gets your values across satisfactorily, and if
♠ 10 8 6 you are on defense against a club contract,
♥74 you will know what to lead. But what if West
♦AKJ54 plays four hearts? To get the diamond lead
♣J73 you want, you are much better advised to
bid diamonds now or to double, suggesting
South West North East values, diamonds and spade tolerance.
1♥ 1♠ 2♣
?
“Once harm has been done, even a fool understands it.”

— Homer
Dealer: South North

Here is one of Edgar Kaplan's favorite deals, from a Vul: Both ♠ J 10 9 6 5
duplicate pairs long ago. To appreciate it fully, cover up ♥32
♦ J 10 9 8
the East and West cards. ♣32
West East
Against four spades doubled, West led the heart king, ♠— ♠K32
♥AK8654 ♥ Q 10
then played the ace and a third heart, hoping partner
♦A7632 ♦54
could overruff dummy. Kaplan, sitting East, could infer that ♣54 ♣AQJ876
West was void in spades and that four hearts would make South
♠AQ874
10 tricks. So the task at hand was for the defense to set ♥J97
declarer three tricks. When North played the third heart, ♦KQ
♣ K 10 9
declarer ruffed in dummy with the nine. Kaplan casually
discarded the diamond five, apparently unable to overruff. South West North East
Declarer now played a spade from dummy to his ace and 1♠ 2♥ Pass 3♥
was shocked when West discarded. Pass 4♥ 4♠ Dbl.
All pass
Declarer could do nothing but lead another spade. Kaplan
Opening Lead: ♥K
won, played his last diamond, and obtained the diamond
ruff for the necessary penalty of 800 and matchpoint top.
Of course, there was considerable discussion between North and South. South explained
to his partner that despite all appearances to the contrary, he had heard of a finesse, but
he argued that he could never play East for the king when he didn’t overruff the heart.
North had little sympathy for his partner, but 20-20 hindsight makes the game much
easier. In my opinion it was a neat play and apt to work against almost anyone. However,
it wouldn’t have succeeded against you or me. Or would it?
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: If you feel tempted to bid,
South Holds: expecting partner to hold the unbid suits,
♠ J 10 9 6 5 reconsider. Your partner passed over one
♥32 club. Would he have done that with values
♦ J 10 9 8 and any kind of two-suiter? No, he wouldn't.
♣32 This auction shows a respectable hand with
a good club suit — virtually the only sort of
South West North East good hand with which your partner would
1♣ Pass 1♦ pass initially and then back into a live
Pass 1 NT 2♣ Pass auction.
?
“This were the cost to me,

This were my winning —
That he were lost to me.”
— Richard Gilder
Dealer: East North

I would expect East to pass as dealer here, then double at Vul: North- ♠KJ73
his second turn to speak. If South could redouble to show South ♥ A Q 10 9
♦83
a strong hand, there is something to be said for that ♣976
action, after which East would retreat to two diamonds. West East
♠95 ♠ Q 10 8 4
Now 300 is available by doubling this, but at most forms of
♥86542 ♥73
scoring, there is a lot to be said for aiming higher, since if ♦ 10 5 4 ♦AK962
you bid three no-trump and make it, the rewards are far ♣K53 ♣82
South
higher. ♠A62
♥KJ
At many tables East would unthinkingly win the first ♦QJ7
♣ A Q J 10 4
diamond and try to cash the suit from the top. That would
make sense if South had a doubleton diamond, but how South West North East
likely is that? Not very likely, I’d say. Pass
1♣ Pass 1♥ Dbl.
East does best to duck the first or second diamond, 2 NT Pass 3 NT All pass
stopping the easy route home via the club finesse.
Opening Lead: ♦4
Declarer has a counter: He must run the hearts, forcing
East to make two discards. The first one, a small spade, is easy; the second appears
relatively innocuous as well, in that he must throw an apparently irrelevant small club. But
then declarer has to reconstruct the hand. Since East appears to have started with four
spades, two hearts and five diamonds, he either has the bare club king or he doesn’t.
South must cash the club ace and exit with his remaining diamond. East is now
endplayed; he can cash his diamonds but in the three-card ending he must lead into
dummy’s spade tenace and concede the rest.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Reluctant as I am to lead my
South Holds: readers into bad habits, in third seat at any
♠ Q 10 8 4 form of scoring or vulnerability I'd be most
♥73 unwilling to pass here. With a good suit I
♦AK962 know what I want partner to lead, so I feel
♣82 obligated to open one diamond. It may not
work out, but the negative inferences from
South West North East my failing to act are almost as important as
Pass Pass the positive ones. Partner will never play me
? for a good suit if I pass here.
“On the whole, I'd rather be in Philadelphia.”

— epitaph of W.C. Fields
Dealer: South North

This deal was declared by John Crawford, a great Vul: East- ♠ A 10 9 8 5 3
American player of the early postwar years. I've West ♥75
♦973
substituted an auction that might occur today. After an ♣J3
opening call of two no-trump, it is common to play West East
♠6 ♠42
transfers at both the three- and four-level. The Texas
♥ Q 10 6 2 ♥K843
transfer at the four-level is either to play or to be followed ♦KQ84 ♦652
by Blackwood, while a transfer and raise is a mild slam- ♣9762 ♣ K Q 10 5
South
try. ♠KQJ7
♥AJ9
Against four spades West led the heart two and Crawford ♦ A J 10
♣A84
took East’s heart king with the ace. Next he played the
spade king, followed by the spade jack to the ace. Then South West North East
came a heart to the nine and 10. West now shifted to 2 NT Pass 4♥* Pass
clubs, declarer capturing East’s 10 with his ace. 4♠ All pass
*Texas transfer to spades
Crawford next played the heart jack from his hand and
discarded the club jack when West covered this with the Opening Lead: ♥2
queen. West did his best when he exited with a club,
which was ruffed in dummy. Now the spade five to the queen allowed Crawford to
eliminate the club suit by ruffing the club in dummy. Finally came a diamond to the 10, and
when West won the diamond queen, he then had either to lead a diamond or concede a
ruff-and-discard. Either way Crawford had his 10th trick.
It is hard to criticize West unduly, but a black-suit lead would have seen four spades fail
since declarer does not have the timing right for the endplay on West.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Responding one no-trump
South Holds: suggests approximately these values and is
♠6 a perfectly reasonable call. It is the action I
♥ Q 10 6 2 would take unless facing a third-in-hand
♦KQ84 opening bid. But your hand looks very
♣9762 defensively oriented to me, so I would give
partner a little latitude and take the more
South West North East discreet route of passing and seeing what
Pass Pass 1♠ Dbl. happens next.
?
ANSWER: A simple rule is that a mixed

raise of a minor asks partner to bid three no-
Dear Mr. Wolff: trump with 18-19 balanced, so today's deal
Recently my partner opened one heart in is on the cusp; I'd say it qualified as mixed. I
third seat and rebid two no-trump over my use preemptive raises of opening bids in
response of one no-trump, with: ♠ A-Q-9-7, competition when non-vulnerable and mixed
♣ Q-10-4-3-2, ♠ 3-2, ♥ A-7. I argued that he raises (6-9 HCP) when vulnerable.
should bid two spades, or invent a minor-
suit. What do you say?
Dear Mr. Wolff:
— Trapper John, Memphis, Tenn.
I've recently been encountering some
problems with using the blanket rule of 'third
ANSWER: You've covered quite a lot of hand plays high'. Specifically when dummy
suggestions here but no one has hit on my has the jack or the queen in a three-card suit
preferred action (or inaction, you might say). working out whether to put in the nine or 10
Passing is clearly right here; responder has from a three-card suit headed by a top honor
neither hearts nor spades, and has a weak has been giving me fits. Could you give me
hand – why with a misfit would you want to some guidance here, please?
raise the level of the auction. Pass and keep — Saving Grace, Boise, Idaho
your fingers crossed, I say.
ANSWER: I'll try, but circumstances do alter

Dear Mr. Wolff: cases. Typically when partner leads a low
Could you please answer a beginner's card and declarer plays low from a dummy
question: how does the forcing no-trump that has jack- or queen-third and you have
work to distinguish good and bad raises? the queen or king accompanied by the nine
And is there a simple cut-off point for raising or 10, the right play is the intermediate card.
partner's major-suit openings or overcalls to This looks VERY silly when partner has
three – what do you do with a 10-count in underled the ace-king against no-trump but
general? how often does that happen? Against suits
the same principle applies even more
— Hamburger Helper, White Plains, N.Y. strongly – though it is not always right!
ANSWER: The simple rule is that a direct Dear Mr. Wolff:

raise shows 7-10 with three or possibly four
trump. Going through the forcing no-trump For those of us learning new bidding
suggests 6-10 and two trump, or 4-7 and conventions, it would be helpful if someone
three trump. The direct raise to three and the had compiled a list showing how often a
indirect raise via the forcing no-trump chance for the convention could be expected
suggest unbalanced and balanced hands to occur. For instance it would be better to
respectively in the range 10-12. With a 10- learn a convention which might occur once
count and four trump upgrade the hand, with every 50 hands versus one which might
three trump only upgrade when you have a occur once every 100 hands. Has anyone
side source of tricks or a singleton. compiled such a list?
— Rob Roy, Grand Forks, N.D.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
Can you help me with the definitions of a ANSWER: The list of 25 conventions in
weak jump and what you describe as a Barbara Seagram's list is a good place to
mixed raise. For example if you hold: ♠ 9-2, start. Even 25 conventions sounds like a lot
♥ A-7-4, ♦ Q-9-7, ♣ 10-8-6-4-3 would you for intermediate players. You can explore
consider this to be a preemptive raise of further here.
clubs or would you think it was a mixed
raise? And when do you use preemptive
raises of your partner's opening bid?
— Scrambled Eggs, Galveston, Texas
by Bobby Wolff on October 1st, 2012
“Sometimes these cogitations still amaze

The troubled midnight and the noon’s repose.”
— T. S. Eliot
Dealer: North North

In today's hand from the Women's teams at the 2002 Vul: East- ♠A963
European Championship, declarer was able to restrict her West ♥AJ
♦J9
losers in the fourth suit to just one, regardless of the ♣ Q 10 8 6 5
location of the missing honors, by eliminating the other West East
♠K7 ♠5
three suits.
♥98643 ♥ K 10 7 5 2
♦ K 10 5 4 ♦A873
Against four spades West led the heart nine. Declarer ♣43 ♣KJ2
rose with the ace and immediately ruffed the heart jack. South
♠ Q J 10 8 4 2
The spade queen came next, then another spade to the ♥Q
king and ace. At this point in the deal declarer has two ♦Q62
♣A97
sure diamond losers and thus to insure her contract needs
to hold her club losers to one. It would be easy to guess South West North East
the suit – but why guess when you have a sure thing? 1♣ 1♥
1♠ 3♣* 3♠ 4♥
With trump and hearts eliminated, declarer set about 4♠ All pass
diamonds by leading the jack. * Heart raise, 6-9 points
This ran to West’s king, and rather than give a ruff and Opening Lead:
discard or open up the clubs, West returned a diamond to
East’s ace. East did her best by playing another diamond. Nicola ruffed her winning
diamond queen in dummy to lead the club queen, (a low club would have had the same
effect in this position). Irrespective of the location of the missing club honors, this was
guaranteed to be the winning play. In practice East covered with the king, and on taking
the ace, declarer conceded just one club trick to the jack.
Had West held the king she would now have been endplayed into either giving declarer a
ruff and discard, or returning a club into declarer’s tenace.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: The opponents have surely
South Holds: reached a 4-3 or 5-3 fit, with dummy likely to
♠62 offer a ruffing value. One line of defense
♥K9753 might be to lead trump, but then declarer's
♦J4 diamonds will surely set up. Another
♣9762 approach is to keep leading hearts to try to
build trump tricks for your partner. The most
South West North East passive option is to lead clubs, and I think I'd
1♦ Pass 1♠ do that.
Pass 1 NT Pass Pass
2♥ 2♠ All pass
by Bobby Wolff on October 2nd, 2012
“Therefore the sage knows without going about,

Understands without seeing.”
— Lao-Tzu
Dealer: South North

Only one line of defense will defeat South's contract, but Vul: Both ♠ 10 8 7 5
to find it, East had to visualize the holdings needed in the ♥ 10 8 4
♦AQ2
unseen hands. ♣765
West East
Against three no-trump West led the diamond 10, and ♠A62 ♠KJ93
declarer could count eight tricks, with the ninth to come ♥962 ♥QJ5
♦ 10 9 8 5 3 ♦J7
from a 3-3 break in clubs or hearts. ♣ J 10 ♣9843
South
Declarer put in the diamond queen, cashed the club ace ♠Q4
♥AK73
and king, and on seeing the jack and 10 fall from West, ♦K64
decided, rightly as it transpired, that clubs were not ♣AKQ2
breaking, so he broached hearts. As a heart trick had to
be lost, and expecting to lose no more than three spade 2 NT Pass 3 NT All pass
tricks, declarer played a low heart to dummy’s eight.
Opening Lead: ♦10
On winning the heart, East did some calculating. West
could hold just one high card — either the diamond king, the heart king, or the spade ace.
If he held one of the red kings, there would be no defense. But even if he had the spade
ace, the defense would have to be precise. East appreciated that on any return bar a
spade, the likely 3-3 heart break would see declarer home. Thus four quick spade tricks
were needed. For this to be possible, South had to have exactly the doubleton spade
queen, and the only way to take those four tricks was to lead the spade king right now.
East did so, and a second spade went to the queen and ace. West’s last spade, through
dummy’s 10-8, produced the requisite four tricks. Nicely done.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You are clearly too good to pass
South Holds: here, but equally you can't drive to game —
♠Q4 partner could have a Yarborough. A
♥AK73 continuation of one no-trump shows 18-20
♦K64 high cards, so you can bid two no-trump to
♣AKQ2 suggest a good two-no-trump opening bid
and let partner decide what to do.
1♦
Dbl. Pass 1♠ Pass
?
by Bobby Wolff on October 3rd, 2012
“I boast myself the senior, th' others are

Youths, that attend in free and friendly care
Great-souled Telemachus, and are his peers….”
— George Chapman
Dealer: South North

The advent of senior events at European and world Vul: Both ♠ A 10 8
championship levels brought many names from the past ♥ J 10 6 3
♦QJ9
back into the playing arena. For instance, Joe MacHale ♣962
first represented Ireland at the 1953 European West East
♠95 ♠J72
Championships, held in Helsinki. Fifty years on, he was
♥KQ8 ♥92
again in action under the Irish flag, in Salsamaggiore, ♦A8753 ♦ 10 6 4 2
Italy. His handling of today's contract showed that his ♣ K Q 10 ♣7543
South
skills remained intact. ♠KQ643
♥A754
As South, MacHale reached four spades after West had ♦K
♣AJ8
suggested he held most of the outstanding high cards. By
chance he had managed to avoid playing four hearts, South West North East
which would have been hopeless on a club lead. (Perhaps 1♠ Dbl. 2♣* Pass
that is what is meant by the luck of the Irish.) 4♠ All pass
*Spade support, 7-9 points
West led the club king against four spades, ducked by
declarer. Next came ace and another diamond. On the Opening Lead: ♣K
established queen and jack, declarer did not discard his
losing club, but two hearts from hand. He had appreciated that the way home lay in
making two heart tricks, but without first losing two tricks in the suit. The bidding made
West the likely candidate to hold the outstanding honors.
Joe now played ace and another heart, endplaying West. West’s best exit is a trump, but if
he leads the nine, declarer covers, thus establishing two spade entries to dummy, one to
ruff a heart, bringing down the king, and the second to cash the established jack for a club
discard in hand. If instead West had played the spade five, it would have been covered by
the eight to achieve a similar position.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: One no-trump here should
South Holds: guarantee a club stopper while not
♠ A 10 8 necessarily guaranteeing heart length. It
♥ J 10 6 3 would be quixotic to introduce a three-card
♦QJ9 suit here, so what are you left with? The
♣962 answer is to double one heart. This shows
hearts and is for penalty. When the
South West North East opponents run to two clubs, you may decide
Pass 1♣ Dbl. 1♥ to balance with two hearts. Even if East has
?
four hearts, that would not be the end of the
world.
by Bobby Wolff on October 4th, 2012
“Nothing puzzles me more than time and space; and yet nothing troubles me less, as I
never think about them.”
— Charles Lamb
Dealer: South North

Reaching six no-trump from the North seat would be too Vul: East- ♠65
hard for most of us. After you open two clubs and rebid West ♥AQ
♦J8743
two no-trump to show a good 22-24 points, you have ♣Q642
failed the "test." Incidentally, North might have explored West East
♠Q93 ♠J842
for a minor-suit fit, the easiest way being to jump to five
♥86542 ♥K973
no-trump to offer a choice of slams. ♦ 10 5 2 ♦96
♣83 ♣K97
Of course, West leads a heart. Resignedly, you call for South
♠ A K 10 7
dummy’s heart queen, not in the least surprised when this ♥ J 10
loses to East’s king. How will you play the contract when ♦AKQ
♣ A J 10 5
East returns a second round of hearts, removing your safe
entry to dummy at an inconvenient moment? South West North East
2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass
Five diamond tricks and four club tricks will bring the total 2 NT Pass 6 NT All pass
to 12. You will need to find East with the club king, of
course, but you must also solve the blockage problem in Opening Lead: ♥6
diamonds. The best line is to lead the club queen from
dummy. If East follows with a low club, you must unblock the club 10 from your hand.
When the finesse wins, as you must hope, you continue with a low club to your jack. If
East began with a doubleton or tripleton club king, you will be able to pick up the clubs.
Then you can unblock the three top diamond honors and finally return to dummy by
overtaking the club five with dummy’s six.
Dummy’s two remaining diamonds, plus the top spades in your hand, will allow you to
claim the slam.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your partner's jump to three
South Holds: diamonds is invitational, not forcing. (With a
♠65 game-force, he would start with a cuebid.)
♥AQ So you can expect a 5-4 hand with extras,
♦J8743 and in that context your best game is surely
♣Q642 four hearts since it is easy to imagine hands
where both red suits will have three top
South West North East losers. So bid four hearts.
1♥ 1♠
Dbl. Pass 3♦ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Friday, September 21st, 2012
“To throw away the dearest thing he owned

As ’twere a careless trifle.”
Dealer: East North

Today's deal from the United Kingdom occurred in a Gold Vul: North- ♠43
Cup match, a knockout tournament that is organized in its South ♥KQJ3
♦Q9652
early stages across the whole country until the field is ♣A2
reduced to eight teams, whereupon the final stages are West East
♠J7 ♠ K Q 10 8 6 5
played at a single venue.
♥ 10 8 7 4 ♥92
♦ K 10 3 ♦J84
The hero of the deal was Gunnar Hallberg, who sat West. ♣K864 ♣ Q 10
Gunnar is an expatriate Swede who came to London for South
♠A92
the rubber bridge two decades ago and has since won a ♥A65
series of European and world titles for the English senior ♦A7
♣J9753
team.
You may want to cover up the South and East hands to 2♠
see whether you would have found the winning play. Pass Pass Dbl. Pass
3 NT All pass
Against three no-trump the defense started with three
rounds of spades, declarer holding up his ace until the Opening Lead: ♠J
third round. Declarer now needed to establish one of the
minors, and the diamond suit is clearly the more promising option. It looks as if South will
succeed because East cannot gain the lead to cash his spades.
However, when declarer cashed the diamond ace, Hallberg dropped his king! Now there
was no way East could be prevented from gaining the lead with his jack, and three no-
trump had to go down.
It was just as well for Hallberg’s team that he found such a good defense because in the
other room North-South had lost their way and ended up in a hopeless five clubs. But
Gunnar’s defense helped to level the board.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: As my problems go, this one is a
South Holds: bit of a gimme. Your choice is to rebid one
♠43 no-trump or to repeat diamonds. Just for the
♥KQJ3 record, a call of two hearts would be a
♦Q9652 reverse, forcing partner to give preference at
♣A2 the three-level and showing at least an ace
more than you hold. Of the two choices,
South West North East rebidding one no-trump limits the hand and
1♦ Pass 1♠ Pass describes what you have; two diamonds
? wrongly emphasizes diamonds.
The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, September 22nd, 2012
“But Jack, no panic showing,

Just watched his beanstalk growing,
And twined with tender fingers
the tendrils up the pole.”
— Guy Carryl
Dealer: South North

On "Dad's Army," an old British television show, there was Vul: Both ♠ 10 5 2
a character who was given to exclaiming "Don't panic!" A ♥KQ84
♦54
bad trump break can often inspire such sentiments, but ♣A972
stay focused and you can often limit the damage, or even West East
♠— ♠K9874
emerge triumphant.
♥ 10 7 ♥J962
♦ Q 10 6 2 ♦J97
Today’s deal was just such an example. In six spades ♣ K Q J 10 8 5 4 ♣3
South appeared to have a decent chance to make 12 South
♠AQJ63
tricks in some comfort if spades behaved. He won the ♥A53
club lead and advanced the spade 10, covered by the ♦AK83
♣6
king and ace, with West pitching a club.
The 5-0 break posed considerable problems. As East 1♠ 3♣ 3♠ Pass
clearly had a singleton club, declarer needed East to hold 4♦ Pass 4♥ Pass
three or four hearts and for at least one diamond ruff to 4♠ Pass 5♣ Pass
6♠ All pass
stand up.
Opening Lead: ♣K
So he cashed the heart ace, king and queen, since East’s
length in that suit would dictate the rest of the plan. To his surprise, West showed out on
the third round, so South ruffed a heart in hand, played the diamond ace and king, then
ruffed a diamond low.
In the four-card ending with the lead in dummy, North had the spade five and three losing
clubs, South had the Q-J-6 of spades and a diamond, while East had his four low spades.
South led a club from dummy, overruffed East’s seven with his queen, then ruffed a
diamond with dummy’s spade five, forcing East to overruff with the eight. In the two-card
ending, East had to lead from his 9-4 of spades into declarer’s tenace — contract made!
BID WITH THE ACES

South Holds: powerhouse, but at this moment it is not
♠K9874 clear if he has secondary hearts to go with
♥J962 his diamonds. However, you don't have to
♦J97 guess. Simply bid three hearts and your
♣3 partner will raise with four, give delayed
spade support with three, or take some other
South West North East descriptive action.
1♣ Dbl. 2♣
2♠ Pass 3♦ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, September 23rd, 2012

I held ♠ A-Q-8-3-2, ♥ 7-4, ♦ K-J-10, ♣ K-10-7. Where do you stand on the spectrum of light
How should I advance at unfavorable opening bids, pre-empts and overcalls? And
vulnerability after hearing partner open three has your position changed as you grew
clubs in second seat and the next hand bid older?
three diamonds? Is doubling unreasonable,
or should I simply raise clubs, and if so, to — Sixties Swinger, Eau Claire, Wis.
what level? Or should I bid three spades?
— Multiple Choice, Lakeland, Fla. ANSWER: I firmly believe that partnership
trust is worth more than the IMPs won or lost
on any single deal. So in second seat or
ANSWER: I'd expect a club contract facing when vulnerable, I tend to be very sound. I
seven decent clubs and maybe a queen on do open shapely minimum hands as often as
the side to make 10 tricks most of the time. the next man, but my two-level overcalls are
But I'd close my eyes and bid three no- disciplined. I might step out of line in third
trump, expecting to beat three diamonds by seat or when pre-empting nonvulnerable, but
no more than a trick. Double here would be what is out of line for me might be seen as
penalties, but very risky, while three spades fuddy-duddy by the younger generation.
is nonforcing though encouraging.
Dear Mr. Wolff:

Dear Mr. Wolff:
Recently you ran a problem where you had
My hand was ♠ 9-2, ♥ 7-4-3, ♦ K-Q-9-7, ♣ Q- 11 points facing a two-no-trump opening bid.
10-6-4. I heard one spade on my left and two Eleven plus 21 comes to 32, which means
spades from my partner (Michaels cue-bid, you could be off two aces. Your partner's bid
showing 5-5 in hearts and a minor). My usually shows a balanced hand. How are
partner said a call of two no-trump was right, you suggesting a slam without at least
but I thought three clubs was better. another jack?
— Up-or-Down Vote, Ketchikan, Alaska — Fear of Heights, Harrisburg, Pa.
ANSWER: The answer is more about ANSWER: When it comes to 11-counts

partnership agreement than right or wrong. I facing a two-no-trump opening, I don't worry
like to play three clubs here as pass or about aces too much. In my life and in that of
correct, while two no-trump invites game and most people, there has been an occasion or
asks for the minor. So with your hand I'd two where 32 points combined missed two
simply bid three hearts to show weakness. aces. I saw Meckstroth and Rodwell do it
With the same hand and the king of hearts, once in the last decade! It won't happen
I'd bid three diamonds, which I play as again, I promise. As for you, don't worry
inviting game in the MAJOR. about it. Of course, finding a fit means fewer
HCP may be necessary; find the fit first, then
check on aces later.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
I know computers are beginning to dominate
chess and backgammon. Why do they lag so
far behind at bridge?
— Following Hal, Trenton, N.J.
ANSWER: Off the cuff I'd say that the

language of bidding is so flexible that you
can't become an expert player without
human as opposed to robotic qualities. In the
play, computers are beginning to learn how
to adapt their picture of the deal from
additional information they acquire, but there
are still too many variables for them to
compete at even the level of a decent
human player. Give it time, maybe 10-15
years.
“All strange and terrible events are welcome,

But comforts we despise.”
Dealer: North North

There is no easy answer as to what plan South should Vul: Both ♠ Q 10 4
have followed here, but his leap to six hearts was ♥94
♦AK973
precipitous and perhaps an overbid. But how would you ♣AQ2
play the slam when West leads the spade three and East West East
♠32 ♠KJ9865
covers dummy's spade 10 with the jack?
♥ 10 7 6 5 ♥2
♦J654 ♦ Q 10
At the table declarer won with the spade ace and drew ♣ 10 9 4 ♣KJ53
trump in four rounds. With only one entry to dummy South
♠A7
outside the diamond suit (the club ace), it seemed that he ♥AKQJ83
would need a 3-3 diamond break to make the contract. ♦82
♣876
Declarer played ace, king and another diamond and
shrugged his shoulders when East showed out on the South West North East
third round. He ruffed in his hand and could do nothing but 1 NT 2♠
finesse the club queen. Had the finesse worked, he could 6♥ All pass
have ruffed out the diamonds successfully. However, East

Opening Lead: ♠3
produced the club king and cashed the spade king for one
down.
Can you see how declarer should have made the contract? When the diamond queen and
10 fall on the first two rounds, dummy’s 9-7 have become equals against West’s J-6. All
declarer needs to do is to lead the diamond nine and let it run, discarding his spade loser.
West wins with the jack and returns a club, but declarer can win with the club ace in
dummy and throw his two club losers on the diamonds.
(Yes, a club lead would have beaten the slam, but I don’t ever want to play against
anyone who could find that!)
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: This is a close call between a
South Holds: diamond and a spade. Had partner opened
♠87652 one club, I would definitely prefer the spade
♥Q74 lead. Here a spade lead has the better
♦J93 chance to set the game; the diamond lead is
♣Q5 more likely to hold the overtricks. So I would
lead a diamond at pairs, a spade at teams.
1♦ 1 NT
All pass
“But if you try sometimes

You just might find
You get what you need.”
— Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
Dealer: South North

A standard Roman Key Card Blackwood auction sees you Vul: North- ♠J73
land in what turns out to be a rather poor small slam in South ♥A42
♦7532
spades. How do you plan to make 12 tricks after West ♣543
leads the heart queen? West East
♠ 10 4 ♠62
♥ Q J 10 6 ♥K9753
A simple line would be to win the heart ace, play three
♦ Q 10 9 ♦J4
rounds of trump ending in dummy, and take the club ♣ K J 10 8 ♣9762
finesse. If that succeeds, then all you would need for a South
♠AKQ985
12th trick would be for diamonds to be 3-2. However, ♥8
there is an extra chance you should try to exploit when ♦AK86
♣AQ
trumps are 2-2.
After winning the first trick with the heart ace, you first ruff 2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass
a heart. After drawing two rounds of trump with the ace 2♠ Pass 3♠ Pass
and jack, you find that trumps do break 2-2, so you ruff 4♣ Pass 4♥ Pass
4 NT Pass 5♦ Pass
dummy’s last heart. Once the heart suit is eliminated, you
play ace, king and another diamond. When West holds
three diamonds, he has to win the trick, then must either Opening Lead: ♥Q
lead a club into your ace-queen tenace or play a heart.
The latter allows you to ruff in dummy while discarding the club queen from hand. Either
way, you have 12 tricks.
If East had won the third round of diamonds, he would have to play a club, and the fate of
the contract would hinge on which defender began with the club king.
If trumps were not 2-2, you would take the club finesse after drawing the second round of
trumps with dummy’s jack.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: A partnership needs to agree if
South Holds: pass here would be to play, or is the Pontius
♠J73 Pilate pass. (You got me into this; you get
♥A42 me out of it!) I prefer the simple agreement
♦7532 that all passes of redoubles after a pre-empt
♣543 has been doubled are to play, so I have to
bid here. I'd start by bidding two spades,
South West North East perhaps planning to redouble if doubled.
2♥ Dbl. Rdbl.
?
“Such are the changes and chances the centuries bring to the nations.
Surely, the ups and downs of this world are past calculation.”
— Charles Johnson
Dealer: South North

Plan the play in six hearts on the club king lead assuming Vul: Neither ♠ K J 6 5
a 2-1 heart break. ♥AKQ87
♦—
♣J753
Before you play a card, count your tricks if you decide to West East
draw trump, to avoid unpleasant accidents in the spade ♠74 ♠ Q 10 9 3
suit. ♥3 ♥ 10 4
♦A9863 ♦K754
♣KQ864 ♣ 10 9 2
You draw trump in two rounds and have six trump left to South
take separately; that makes eight tricks. Three black suit ♠A82
♥J9652
winners makes 11, so what you will need to do is establish ♦ Q J 10 2
an extra trick in spades. That would be a good bet if the ♣A
opponents had not bid (best is to cash the king and ace
then lead up to the jack) but here the auction has made 1♥ 2 NT 6♥ All pass
this no better than even chance – probably rather worse.
Opening Lead: ♣K
There are several possibilities but the bidding makes the
best line stand out. Win the club ace and draw two rounds of trump ending in hand then
play the diamond queen, discarding a spade if West does not cover. Win the return, and
play the diamond jack. If West covers you ruff, ruff a club to hand and discard dummy’s
last spade on the diamond 10; if West doesn’t cover the diamond jack, the spade loser
goes away immediately.
Even without the opponents bidding, this line would be a 75 percent chance. The way to
calculate the chance of success is to work out that the line works unless both diamond
honors are offside – and the chance of that that is one quarter (one half of one half). So
you succeed the other three quarters of the time.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: It is typically correct to raise
South Holds: partner's overcall with three trump, but here
♠ Q 10 9 3 you have a minimum (maybe sub-minimum)
♥ 10 4 for that action and your values are primarily
♦K754 defensive. Worse: you do not want to
♣ 10 9 2 encourage partner to lead clubs unless he
has a natural lead of that suit. So pass, don't
South West North East raise.
1♥ 2♣ Dbl.
?
“'You mean you can't take less,' said the Hatter. 'It's very easy to take more than nothing.'”
— Lewis Carroll
Dealer: North North

Timing the play to take advantage of all possibilities can Vul: North- ♠ 10 6 4 2
be very difficult. Today's deal defeated one of the best South ♥A874
♦Q3
declarers in the country (who shall remain nameless). ♣KQ2
West East
Against four spades West led the diamond ace and king, ♠K7 ♠953
♥ K 10 ♥96532
then switched to the club four. Declarer won in the dummy
♦AKJ54 ♦ 10 9 7
and took a spade finesse. When that was wrong and ♣ 10 9 7 4 ♣J8
clubs failed to break 3-3, he had to go one down. South
♠AQJ8
♥QJ
Can you see how he could have done better? ♦862
♣A653
Since he needed one of the major-suit finesses for
certain, he should have won the club in hand and run the South West North East
Pass Pass
heart queen. In practice West would have covered with
1♣ 1♦ Dbl. Pass
the king (it doesn’t help him to duck), and declarer wins 2♠ Pass 4♠ All pass
with dummy’s ace. Only now does declarer play a spade
to the queen. West wins and no doubt continues with Opening Lead: ♦K
another club. Declarer wins in dummy, draws trump, then
cashes the heart jack and crosses to the club king. If clubs are 3-3, he has no more
losers. He can ruff a heart, cash his long club, and ruff a diamond with dummy’s last
trump.
However, when clubs fail to break, he can take a ruffing heart finesse. The king and 10
have gone and East just has the nine poised over dummy’s eight-seven. This finesse is
certain to succeed because declarer knows that West started with two spades, four clubs,
five diamonds (for his overcall) and therefore only two hearts, both of which have been
played.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: On this auction you would like to
South Holds: take a shot at three no-trump if partner has a
♠ 10 6 4 2 spade guard. The way to find out when the
♥A874 opponents have bid two suits is to tell rather
♦Q3 than ask. A bid of three clubs here shows
♣KQ2 the club guard and asks partner to bid three
no-trump with a spade guard.
1♦ 1♠
Dbl. 2♣ 2♦ Pass
?
“I am tired. Everyone's tired of my turmoil.”

— Robert Lowell
Dealer: North North

In today's deal South was a solid performer, but one who Vul: East- ♠A86
believed that the cards always conspired to gang up West ♥Q974
♦J82
against him. After he had finished declaring four hearts ♣KQ9
here, he could add another plaint to his long litany of West East
♠72 ♠ 10 9 5 3
woes. Was he entitled to whine? You be the judge.
♥K863 ♥5
♦ A K Q 10 5 3 ♦97
Against his game the defenders led out the three top ♣6 ♣ J 10 7 5 3 2
diamonds. South ruffed and announced he was not going South
♠KQJ4
to risk a defensive ruff. So saying, he led out the heart ace ♥ A J 10 2
and jack. West ducked this, and now declarer found ♦64
♣A84
himself in trouble. If he played a third trump, West would
win and force dummy with more diamonds, whereas if he South West North East
played on the side-suits, West would score both his 1♣ Pass
trumps for down one. 1♥ 2♦ 2♥ Pass
4♥ All pass
It may be unlikely that four trumps will lie with the long
Opening Lead: ♦K
diamonds, of course, but the point of the deal is still a
valid one. If you can protect yourself against a bad break, you should do so. After declarer
ruffs, he must play the heart 10 — otherwise, West will prevail. When this holds, South
continues with the heart jack, leaving the defense powerless. If West wins his king, he can
play another diamond, but South ruffs in hand, crosses to the club queen, and can use
dummy’s high trumps to draw West’s last two hearts.
Incidentally, declarer cannot afford to cross to dummy to take the trump finesse. He might
run into an unexpected ruff.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: It's very tempting to double to
South Holds: show the unbid suits, but what are you
♠KQJ4 attempting to achieve? Your partner rates to
♥ A J 10 2 have a Yarborough, and you have no real
♦64 shape. So all you are doing is setting
♣A84 yourself up for a large penalty. Let the
opponents bid to their game and hope to
South West North East beat it. If the opponents stop low, you may
1♦ Pass 2♣ change your mind, of course.
?
“I reason, earth is short,

And anguish absolute.
And many hurt;
But what of that?”
— Emily Dickinson
Dealer: South North

In today's deal it would have been easy enough to defeat Vul: Neither ♠ 7 4
three no-trump after a top heart lead. (Declarer wins the ♥A
♦ A Q 10 8 5
opening lead and runs five rounds of diamonds, but West ♣96532
simply keeps his club 10 till the last diamond (to prevent West East
♠AQJ93 ♠ 10 6 5 2
declarer from finessing in the suit), then discards his
♥ K Q J 10 3 ♥976
spade on the top clubs. He keeps four winning hearts and ♦32 ♦76
the spade ace. Mission accomplished. ♣ 10 ♣QJ74
South
♠K8
However, you have done well to reach five diamonds ♥8542
instead, on the lead of a top heart. You could rely on the ♦KJ94
♣AK8
spade ace being onside, but before you do that, try
something else. The key to the deal is to try to establish South West North East
clubs to allow you to discard your spade losers without 1♦ 2♦ 2♠* Pass
letting East on lead. To that end, you win the heart ace 3♣ Pass 3♥ Pass
3 NT Pass 5♦ All pass
and take the diamond queen, all following. Next you lead
*Limit-raise or better in diamonds
a club, and when East plays low, you put in the eight.
Opening Lead: ♥K
West wins the club 10 and does best to punch dummy
with a heart. You ruff, draw second round of trump, cash the club ace and king, and ruff a
second heart. Now you ruff a club to set up the suit and ruff another heart with dummy’s
last trump. At this point the fifth club has been established and takes care of one of your
two spade losers.
The avoidance play in clubs requires West to hold one of the three top clubs. You also
need either diamonds or clubs to break evenly.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: It is very tempting to bid two no-
South Holds: trump, going for the big payout if you are
♠74 right; but here you have a viable alternative,
♥A which is to bid two spades. The point is that
♦ A Q 10 8 5 with such a misfit and no real club stopper,
♣96532 your chances of making three no-trump are
very slim. Also, if partner has extras, he can
South West North East still bid on if he wants.
1♠ Pass
1 NT Pass 2♥ Pass
?
ANSWER: You might lose the spades

completely unless you double now. By
Dear Mr. Wolff: contrast, over a one-heart overcall I would
My partner and I have a bet on your answer have no problems with a response of two
here, and a lot of personal pride rides on diamonds, expecting to get spades in later
this. You are in fourth seat and the auction and not lose the opportunity to bid diamonds
goes three clubs on your left, three spades cheaply.
from partner, and five clubs on your right.
You hold ♠ 3-2, ♥ A-Q-7-4-3, ♦ A-Q-9-7-3,
♣ A. What would you bid? One of us Dear Mr. Wolff:
believes you would double, one that you
would bid six spades — but did we miss What is the best meaning to assign to a
another possibility? jump cue-bid of the suit your RHO has
opened? Does it matter whether that suit is a
— Searching for Solomon, Honolulu, Hawaiiminor or a major?
— Raising the Roof, Corpus Christi, Texas
ANSWER: I might double at unfavorable
vulnerability. especially if my opponents were
known lunatics, but I'd actually drive to slam ANSWER: Yes, it does matter. After your
by bidding five no-trump. In contested RHO opens a major suit, the best meaning
auctions this is not a grand slam force, but to assign to a double jump in that suit is
says pick a slam. Since partner could easily asking for a stopper, suggesting that you
be 6-4, I'd expect him to bid a second suit if have a solid minor and want to play three
he had one, while he could temporize with no-trump if your partner can stop the suit.
six clubs, or emphasize his spades by The jump in a minor is probably best played
repeating them. as natural and pre-emptive. This would
typically be a seven-card suit since the
likelihood of your RHO having real length
there is higher than usual.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
Is there a simple rule for when to respond in
the higher or lower of suits of the same Dear Mr. Wolff:
length, be it four or five cards, and when to
bid a major rather than a minor? I get Why do some experts lead king from ace-
confused when I read contradictory advice. king? How does your partner know which
holding you are leading from? And what if
— Pure and Simple, Miami, Fla. your partner is void? Might he not ruff the
trick?
— Ken the Card, Atlanta, Ga.
ANSWER: The simple answer is always to
bid your longer suit first with game-forcing
values and always to bid the higher of five-
card suits first. Bid the lower of four-card ANSWER: The world is split between those
suits first with the following exception: In a who lead king and those who lead ace.The
hand with less than solid invitational values, main disadvantage of the king-lead is how to
either with two four-card suits, one a major signal in response to it with jack-third. As
and one diamonds, or a four-card major and against that, the lead of the ace denies the
a five-card minor suit, bid the major before king, so makes it easy to signal attitude on
the minor. that lead. If the ace could be from ace-king
or unsupported, it is hard to signal
intelligently on it. That is why, regardless of
what you lead at trick one, you must play
Dear Mr. Wolff: king from ace-king in midhand, since
Say you were responding to an opening bid cashing out is so important.
of one club after your RHO overcalled two
hearts. You hold ♠ K-8-3-2, ♥ A-4, ♦ A-Q-9-7-
3, ♣ J-10. Would you make a negative
double, or bid three diamonds to set up the
game-force?
— Simple Pleasures, Albuquerque, N.M.
The Aces on Bridge: Monday, October 1st, 2012
“But what is past my help, is past my care.”

— John Fletcher
Dealer: South North

Today's deal comes from an international match between Vul: East- ♠8742
Poland and Portugal. At first glance you might imagine it West ♥A65
♦ Q 10 9
was a dull four-heart contract with the spade ace onside. ♣ K 10 3
The only thing that appears to be at stake is the overtrick. West East
♠ Q 10 9 6 ♠AJ3
♥98 ♥J3
In the closed room, on the lead of the spade 10, the
♦A7 ♦J5432
Portuguese declarer made 11 tricks without raising a ♣Q8765 ♣J92
sweat, by guessing the diamond jack. But Jacek South
♠K5
Romanski got a less helpful heart-nine lead to his 10. Can ♥ K Q 10 7 4 2
you see the best line? ♦K86
♣A4
Obviously you could simply play a spade to the king at
some point after drawing trumps, then rely on your table 1♥ Pass 2♥ Pass
presence to find the diamond jack — a line that is perhaps 4♥ All pass
just a bit better than 75 percent. But you do have an even
better chance once trumps turn out to be 2-2. Opening Lead: ♥9
You should play the heart king at trick two, then ruff out the clubs by playing three rounds
of the suit, and next play a diamond to the queen. When it holds, you run the diamond 10.
Even if the defenders have two diamonds to cash, West will be endplayed after taking his
winners. If the diamond queen loses to the ace, you can still succeed if East has either the
diamond jack or the spade ace.
This line succeeds unless all three critical cards are badly placed. In other words, you
come home seven times out of eight. The fact that the spade ace was onside all along
does not spoil the elegance of this line.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: The attractions of a diamond
South Holds: lead are that it is unexpected; the opponents
♠ K 10 sound as if they are prepared for a club lead.
♥96 As against that, clubs offer a far better
♦AJ75 chance of setting up immediately, plus you
♣KQ742 have a fast entry to them on the side. So put
me down for a small club lead. My thinking is
South West North East also that since I didn't promise real clubs,
1♣ 1♥ Pass 1 NT they might not need such a great club
Pass 2 NT All pass stopper to bid no-trump.
The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, October 2nd, 2012
“The fascination of what's difficult

Has dried the sap out of my veins, and rent
Spontaneous joy and natural content
Out of my heart.”
— W.B. Yeats
Dealer: South North

The higher a contract, the easier it usually is to play. Vul: North- ♠ 10 5 2
Imagine for a moment that you were playing today's hand South ♥42
♦AJ74
in six spades. How should you play it when the defenders ♣KQJ6
lead two rounds of hearts? You would ruff, cross to West East
♠KJ97 ♠—
dummy, and finesse the queen of trumps. The only
♥J875 ♥ A K Q 10 6 3
chance would be to find East with a doubleton trump king. ♦ 10 6 3 ♦Q82
♣73 ♣ 10 9 8 4
With just 24 points between the hands, though, it is more South
♠AQ8643
likely that you would end in game. Now your aim is to ♥9
make 10 tricks against any lie of the cards. How would ♦K95
♣A52
you play the contract at teams or rubber, when the
defenders again begin with two rounds of hearts? South West North East
1♠ Pass 2♣ 2♥
The original declarer ruffed the second heart and played 2♠ 3♥ 4♠ All pass
the ace of trumps, East showing out. When he continued
with a low trump toward dummy’s 10, West stepped in Opening Lead: ♥5
with the jack.
Can you see what the winning defense is now? West played a third round of hearts,
deliberately giving a ruff-and-discard. If declarer ruffed with the dummy’s bare 10, West’s
K-9 would be worth two further tricks. If instead declarer ruffed in his hand, he would be
down to the same number of trumps as West. He would lose trump control when he
knocked out the trump king and was forced again.
Paradoxically, the only safe line is to lead a trump toward the 10 at trick two. You then
have a small trump left in dummy to deal with a third round of hearts.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your partner's four-spade call
South Holds: showed a spade control (not necessarily
♠— good news) and interest in slam. When you
♥ A K Q 10 6 3 hold solid trumps and partner looks for slam,
♦Q82 you know he has a good hand. Here, the
♣ 10 9 8 4 only sensible noise you can make is to bid
five diamonds, suggesting no club control
South West North East but something in diamonds. That lets partner
1♦ 3♠ decide whether to bid on past five hearts.
4♥ Pass 4♠ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012
“Study from new books but from old teachers.”

— Turkish proverb
Dealer: East North

Turkey's Senior Team won its country's first-ever Vul: Neither ♠ 10 8 7 4
European Teams Championship title a couple of years ♥A54
♦KQ43
ago. This hand features a well-reasoned play by Orhan ♣84
Ekinci, a member of that team, reported by Erdal Sidor, West East
♠J953 ♠—
Turkey's Open Team captain.
♥3 ♥ K Q 10 9 8 6
♦J762 ♦ 10 8 5
Against four spades West led his singleton heart, and ♣AQ73 ♣9652
South rose with dummy’s ace. The play seems South
♠AKQ62
straightforward: draw trumps, then pitch a heart on the ♥J72
third diamond and play on clubs for 11 tricks if the club ♦A9
♣ K J 10
queen sits onside, or for 10 if not.
But Ekinci had to reassess when, at trick two, he 2♦*
discovered he had a trump loser. How to proceed? One Dbl. Rdbl. Pass 2♥
line would be to play three rounds of diamonds, discarding 2♠ Pass 4♠ All pass
a heart from hand, then finesse East for the club queen. *Weak, showing either hearts or
spades
East was less likely to have the club ace as well as his
strong heart holding, for then he might have opened one Opening Lead: ♥3
heart. And indeed that is how the play went at many
tables.
However, Ekinci already knew that West held a singleton heart plus four spades, whereas
East had six cards in the majors. If additionally he held four diamonds, he could be
endplayed. So declarer cashed three rounds of diamonds, shedding a heart, then led
dummy’s fourth diamond, on which he pitched his last heart. West won, but was now
endplayed in the black suits.
Incidentally, had East produced the fourth diamond, Ekinci would have ruffed high and
played a low spade. He would still have come home had the club queen been well-placed
for him.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: It looks tempting to raise
South Holds: diamonds, but that underplays the strength
♠ 10 8 7 4 of your hand. In many ways it is actually
♥A54 better to respond one no-trump, by-passing
♦KQ43 spades but getting the general strength of
♣84 your hand across, or simply to bid one
spade. The latter course risks being raised
South West North East on a three-card suit, but the general strength
1♦ Dbl. of your hand should compensate for the
? weak spades.
The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, October 4th, 2012
“And after all what is a lie? 'Tis but

The truth in masquerade.”
— Lord Byron
Dealer: North North

Today's deal comes from a knockout match in a regional Vul: East- ♠ K Q 10 6
event where all the players were not only competent, but West ♥ Q 10 4
♦ 10 8 5
(as usual) had an appropriately high opinion of their own ♣752
abilities. West East
♠J93 ♠A8542
When one East-West pair came back to score up, their ♥72 ♥63
♦AJ62 ♦Q94
teammates called out “minus 50” and the first pair ♣ J 10 9 8 ♣643
announced that they had conceded 420. Nothing more South
♠7
was said for a few seconds, then East made the mistake ♥AKJ985
of asking how South had gone down. ♦K73
♣AKQ
He was told that, against four hearts, West had led the
club jack (denying a higher honor). Declarer won, cashed Pass Pass
the heart ace and jack, and played a spade to dummy’s 1♥ Pass 2♥ Pass
king and East’s ace. Can you see what the defense ought 3♠* Pass 4♥ All pass
to do now? * Slam try, short spades
In one room East made no mistake when he switched to Opening Lead: ♣J

the diamond queen. Just because East knew the contract
would be cold if South covered, didn’t mean that HE knew that.
Look at the problem from declarer’s perspective. If East has the Q-J-9, he would be right
to duck the queen. Even if he had covered and West had guessed to win and play a low
diamond back, declarer would have been likely to go wrong.
When the unfortunate South retaliated by asking how the defense had gone in the other
room, East (who had shifted to a low diamond at the critical moment) had little excuse but
to say that the sun had got in his eyes at the critical moment.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: In context you have a suitable
South Holds: hand for slam after your initial negative
♠ K Q 10 6 response. The only ways you could get your
♥ Q 10 4 values across now (since you have nothing
♦ 10 8 5 to cuebid) would be to jump to five hearts —
♣752 which I would do if I had one fewer spade
and one more heart — or to raise to four
South West North East spades, in case partner has four trumps and
2♣ Pass would find there was a useful discard
2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass available in that strain.
3♥ Pass 3♠ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Friday, October 5th, 2012
“Once upon a time I was falling in love but now I'm only falling apart.
There’s nothing I can do, a total eclipse of the heart.”
— Bonnie Tyler
Dealer: West North

When this deal originally appeared it came with the Vul: Both ♠ K 10
punning subtitle from the Bonnie Tyler song: "It's a heart ♥96
♦AJ75
eight, nothing but a heart eight." ♣KQ742
West East
Norberto Bocchi, the hero of the deal, was complaining ♠AJ74 ♠Q9853
about what a bad card-holder his partner was on this deal. ♥ Q 10 ♥A8
♦642 ♦983
Quite a few of the field had reached four hearts by North ♣A853 ♣ J 10 9
after a weak no-trump. At those tables, after a club lead, South
♠62
West won the ace, cashed the spade ace, then played ♥KJ75432
another spade. Since West had produced two aces, ♦ K Q 10
♣6
declarer was not hard-pressed to get hearts right. In fact,
16 of 22 declarers made 10 tricks in their heart contracts. South West North East
Pass 1♣ Pass
In our featured room, Bocchi sat West, and on an 1♥ Pass 1 NT Pass
informative auction, led the spade ace and shifted to the 3♥ Pass 4♥ All pass
diamond two. Believing the opponents’ count-cards,
Opening Lead: ♠A
declarer played four rounds of diamonds, discarding his
club, hoping that whichever defender ruffed would weaken his trump holding. Bocchi now
knew his partner must have the heart ace, and seeing the trump nine in dummy,
thoughtfully ruffed with the heart queen. His expectation was that declarer would win the
spade return on the board and pass the heart nine.
Alas for him, when declarer led the heart nine from dummy East’s irritating heart eight got
in the way. Declarer now knew to go up with the king (on the assumption that East would
have covered from the 10-8 (by no means a sure thing, incidentally) and hold his trump
losers to one.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: This second double is takeout,
South Holds: not optional. You would pass only with real
♠ K 10 spades, so the only question is whether to
♥96 make a natural call in no-trump or bid a
♦AJ75 minor. My instincts are to bid three
♣KQ742 diamonds, since this sounds like extra
values or extra shape, and I have not given
South West North East up on game yet.
1♣ 1♠ Dbl. 2♠
Pass Pass Dbl. Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, October 6th, 2012
“Nothing has scathed me,

Nothing ever, nor ever will.
I have touched pitch, I have reveled in it and rolled in it….”
— Orrick Johns
Dealer: West North

Per-Olav Sundelin, known universally as P.O., was not Vul: Neither ♠ 7 6
playing for his native Sweden in the 2008 European ♥762
♦AK2
Championships. His other duties as Vugraph ♣KQJ83
commentator, Daily Bulletin journalist and proofreader West East
♠ J 10
precluded this. P.O.'s command of English is such that he ♠KQ98432
♥ Q J 10
♥954
is able to correct not only the analysis but also the ♦—
♦ Q J 10
grammar of the native English-speaking scribes. ♣ A 10 9 7 6 5
♣—
42
Additionally, he wrote a series of bridge problems for the South
bulletins. Here is one of them, perhaps the hardest of the ♠A5
♥AK83
fortnight. ♦9876543
♣—
West leads the spade king against five diamonds, East
contributes the jack, and you play the ace. On a diamond South West North East
3♠ Pass Pass
to the ace, East shows out, discarding a club. What
4♦ Pass 5♦ All pass
continuation guarantees your contract?
Opening Lead: ♠K
Answer: play a top club, and regardless of what card East
contributes, even the ace, discard your losing spade! Should the club hold, give up a heart
then cash the ace and king of that suit. If West trumps in at any point, ruff the spade
return, cash the diamond king, and ruff the fourth heart in dummy. If West has the club ace
and takes it, win the major-suit return, give up a diamond, then draw the last trump and
discard the two losing hearts in hand on the queen and jack of clubs.
And if East plays the club ace, discard a spade, win the return, and give up a trump. The
trap is that should you mistakenly ruff the club ace, West can overruff, then play a low
spade to East for another club ruff.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: I don't advocate rebidding one
South Holds: no-trump with three hearts and a side-suit
♠76 small doubleton. Equally, raising with three
♥762 small trumps is not ideal. Here you can also
♦AK2 rebid clubs — which might get you to no-
♣KQJ83 trump the right way up, plus your clubs are
almost as good as a six-card suit. In favor of
South West North East the raise is that if you always support with
1♣ Pass 1♥ Pass three trumps and a doubleton, partner will
?
have strong negative inferences when you
don't raise. I call it a tie!
The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, October 7th, 2012
ANSWER: Circumstances alter cases, but

with that caveat I suggest high or low from
Dear Mr. Wolff: three small (certainly high from touching
At our club my partner thought he should cards) and second highest from four small.
have tried for a grand slam on a hand where From five, a lot depends on whether I think I
we bid six, making seven. The club expert's might want a shift if my lead doesn't work
response was that in a local game, even if out. If so, I'd lead second highest; otherwise,
the grand seems likely to make, stay at six fourth highest.
no-trump, because club players rarely bid
grand slams. So bidding a small slam at no-
trump will virtually always tie for a top at Dear Mr. Wolff:
matchpoints. Do you agree?
Recently you presented this bidding
— How High Is Up? Sioux Falls, S.D. problem: ♠ 8-5-4, ♥ 5, ♦ K-Q-8-3-2, ♣ A-10-8-
4. After your partner doubled two spades
and the next hand raised to three spades,
ANSWER: Your adviser was absolutely on you suggested a cautious call of four
the money. Grand slams are bid so rarely diamonds, in case partner had a one-suiter
that you need to know EVERYONE will be in in hearts. If your partner had such a hand,
the small slam before you start thinking of why would he not just bid four hearts
one. Sometimes you will have a keycard himself, directly, rather than doubling first?
auction that lets you count 13 tricks, but — Getting to the Point, Bremerton, Wash.
rarely otherwise.
ANSWER: You might double, then bid

Dear Mr. Wolff: hearts, with a hand based on high cards not
When playing with an expert, I had an tricks, since your values would be more
accident on this pair of hands. I held ♠ A-J- flexible. By contrast, with a long solid suit
10-8-3-2, ♥ A-K-4, ♦ J-8-7, ♣ A, facing ♠ K-7- and less in high cards, you might bid hearts
4, ♥ Q-J-10-7, ♦ A-K, ♣ 10-7-5-2. We were directly.
playing two-over-one game-forcing, and the
bidding went one spade – two clubs – two
spades – four spades – pass. Where did we Dear Mr. Wolff:
go wrong?
I was just reading one of your columns
— Missing Link, Lorain, Ohio where, after an overcall of a strong no-
trump, a pair of French experts bid to a
major-suit game. This was allowed to make
ANSWER: I agree with all the calls you on a sort of crossruff, leaving me wondering
made (a jump to three spades by opener how often a trump lead would be close to
should be a better suit). However, opener automatic on such auctions.
should continue with five clubs, and should — Trump Attack, Dallas, Texas
not think of passing. I don't mind Blackwood
with an open suit when my values suggest I
don't have any real likelihood of two fast
losers. Then responder can show his ANSWER: Right you are! It is surprising how
diamond control, and opener will not stop often it is true that when you are facing a
short of the small slam. strong balanced hand, you should lead
trumps against the opponent's contract. The
fewer points they have, the more likely that
they are going to need to take their trumps
Dear Mr. Wolff: separately.
What are your views on leading from three,
four or five small at no-trump? If you select
this suit to lead, should you lead high, middle
or low?
— Small, Medium, Large; Pueblo, Colo.
The Aces on Bridge: Monday, October 8th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on October 22nd, 2012
“It's true, I never assisted the sun materially in his rising, but, doubt not, it was of the last
importance only to be present at it.”
— Henry David Thoreau
Dealer: West North

All this week's deals come from the 2011 Bermuda Bowl Vul: Both ♠ 10 2
from Veldhoven in the Netherlands. Today's deal features ♥65
♦Q986
a defensive maneuver that eluded one of the players at ♣AKJ86
the, table who was faced with the problem. See if you can West East
♠AQJ3 ♠K87654
do better!
♥J87 ♥—
♦K432 ♦AJ7
At both tables West passed initially, then upped the ante ♣ 10 4 ♣9732
to four spades at his next turn. Neither East nor West South
♠9
could bid on to five spades over five hearts though; ♥ A K Q 10 9 4 3 2
perhaps if East had doubled to show extra shape (NOT ♦ 10 5
♣Q5
penalties), that might have got West to do the right thing.
Anyway, with five spades easy to make, the East-West Pass Pass 2♠
pairs had to defeat five hearts to avoid disaster. 4♥ 4♠ 5♣ Pass
5♥ All pass
When Bobby Levin was on lead, he started with the spade
ace, on which Steve Weinstein played a suit-preference Opening Lead: ♠A
eight, calling for the higher of the unbid suits. Making sure
there was no confusion, Levin thoughtfully played the diamond king at trick two and
continued the suit for one down and plus 100 for USA 1.
In the other room Joe Grue also started with the spade ace, and he too switched to a
diamond at trick two, but he played a low diamond rather than the king. Justin Lall had to
decide whether the spade king was standing up or if his partner had the diamond king. He
got it wrong when he won the diamond ace and then tried to cash a second spade.
Declarer, Lew Stansby, could ruff and was able to claim 11 tricks.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: The choice is between an
South Holds: attacking heart and a more passive club —
♠ Q 10 4 though you could get lucky and hit partner's
♥Q9752 suit. If you gave me one more heart
♦954 intermediate (say the 10 instead of the five),
♣K3 a heart lead would be more attractive; but
here a heart lead could easily give up a
South West North East cheap trick even if partner had an honor in
1 NT the suit. Put me down for a low-diamond
Pass 2♣ Pass 2♥ lead (or the nine).
Pass 3 NT All pass
The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, October 9th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on October 23rd, 2012
“Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp,

Or what’s a heaven for?”
— Robert Browning
Dealer: Both North

This week's deals all come from last fall's Bermuda Bowl Vul: North ♠A96
in Veldhoven, won by the Dutch. On this deal from ♥ A 10 7 2
♦AK
Australia's qualifying match against USA-1 in the ♣ 10 9 8 4
Bermuda Bowl, Sartaj Hans played skillfully to land a West East
♠Q8743 ♠K52
three-no-trump contract that failed at many tables.
♥KJ8 ♥643
♦ 10 8 ♦76432
For the U.S., Martin Fleisher led the spade four, ducked ♣KJ7 ♣52
by declarer and taken by Mike Kamil with the king. On the South
♠ J 10
spade return, Fleisher played low on declarer’s jack. Hans ♥Q95
played a diamond to dummy’s ace, cashed the diamond ♦QJ95
♣AQ63
king, and then ran the club 10 to West’s jack. A low spade
cleared the suit and put the lead in dummy. South West North East
1♣ Pass
This position was reached at many tables, but whereas 2 NT Pass 3 NT All pass
many of the unsuccessful declarers took a second club
finesse, letting West win and cash out his spades for Opening Lead: ♠4
down one, Hans instead played a club to his ace, realizing
that he wanted to keep West off play, at least for the time being.
Next he cashed his two diamond winners. Fleisher could spare a heart on the third round
of diamonds, but he had to let a spade go on declarer’s final diamond.
Now Hans exited with a club, leaving Fleisher on lead. That player could cash a spade,
but then had to lead a heart, giving declarer his eighth and ninth tricks with a club and
heart winner.
Had West discarded a heart instead on the fourth diamond, declarer would have led a
heart himself and built an extra trick for his side in that suit.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: With a minimum hand and not
South Holds: even half a spade stopper, just bid three
♠ J 10 diamonds. If your partner has a full opener,
♥Q95 he will bid again. If he does not, you are
♦QJ95 surely high enough. A two-spade call here
♣AQ63 would suggest a better hand or better spade
fragment.
1♣ Pass 1♦ 1♠
2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, October 10th, 2012
“I left both ship and seas, and on

Along the sacred valleys all alone
Went in discovery.”
— Homer’s “Odyssey,” Edward Chapman, trans.
Dealer: South North

At last year's Bermuda Bowl in the match between Israel Vul: Neither ♠ A 3
and Poland, the Poles showed their ability in defense. ♥K9
♦ Q 10 7 6 5 4 3
♣43
After a simple auction, South had to declare three spades West East
and West led his singleton diamond. Ophir Herbst won ♠865 ♠ K 10
♥AQ62 ♥ J 10 5 3
this in hand and went on to play spade ace and another
♦9 ♦K8
spade. East won and thoughtfully shifted to the heart jack, ♣KJ762 ♣ A 10 9 8 5
ducked by West to leave the defenders’ communications South
♠QJ9742
intact. Declarer could do no better than exit from dummy ♥874
with a club. East won the ace (West giving reverse count ♦AJ2
♣Q
by following with the seven) and gave his partner the
diamond ruff. South West North East
West now did not know which of the club or heart winners
were standing up. He solved his problem by underleading Opening Lead: ♦9
his hearts, his low card suggesting a remaining three-card
holding. East won the heart 10 and knew to return another heart; thus declarer had to lose
two hearts, a club and the diamond ruff for down one. Poland: plus 50.
Jacek Kalita was also in three spades against the lead of the diamond nine. He too won in
hand, but immediately ran the spade jack. Of course, East won his king and could now
give partner a diamond ruff, but the defense had only their two aces now. Had East
returned a heart immediately, South would have won and played a club, and thus have
been able to ruff the third heart with the spade ace. The fall of the spade 10 would have
allowed declarer to come home.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Start by redoubling to show that
South Holds: you believe your side has the balance of
♠ K 10 power. At your next turn you can raise
♥ J 10 5 3 spades. This route will suggest a doubleton
♦K8 trump and approximately a minimum for the
♣ A 10 9 8 5 auction thus far. Some people play the
redouble as conventional here, but I believe
South West North East it is far more valuable to show a decent hand
1♦ 1♠ Dbl. than to show a top trump honor, for example.
?
“The nicest child I ever knew

Was Charles Augustus Fortescue.
He never lost his cap, or tore
His stockings or his pinafore.”
— Hilaire Belloc
Dealer: South North

Today's deal from last year's Bermuda Bowl features the Vul: Both ♠65
match between the young USA-2 squad and Bulgaria. It ♥J7
♦AQ875
shows both U.S. pairs combining nicely for a gain. ♣AQJ3
West East
Against four hearts both Wests led a small club. John ♠ A 10 9 2 ♠Q8743
♥82 ♥A43
Hurd realized that if the club finesse was right he really
♦ J 10 9 4 ♦2
did not need to take it. He put up dummy’s club ace, won ♣975 ♣ K 10 6 2
the second trick with his heart jack, and continued with the South
♠KJ
heart seven. Victor Aronov took his ace and led a small ♥ K Q 10 9 6 5
spade, declarer getting it right by playing the jack. West ♦K63
♣84
won the trick with his ace and shifted to the diamond 10,
but declarer won the trick, played a trump, and claimed. South West North East
He still had to lose a club trick when diamonds did not 1♥ Pass 2♦ Pass
behave, but he had his contract. 2♥ Pass 2♠ Pass
3♦ Pass 3♥ Pass
4♥ All pass
In the other room the Bulgarian declarer played dummy’s
club queen at trick one and could no longer make his Opening Lead: ♣7
contract. Justin Lall played his club king and switched to
the diamond two, the only card to defeat the contract. Declarer won the trick with dummy’s
queen and played a heart. Lall ducked this trick, then won the next trick with his heart ace
to switch to a small spade. Seeing the ruff coming, declarer took his only legitimate
chance by playing his king. Joe Grue won with his ace and returned a diamond for his
partner to ruff. East now cashed the spade queen for two down.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: In competition your partner's two-
South Holds: heart bid shows extras. A reversion to three
♠Q8743 clubs by you would be nonforcing. With a
♥A43 good hand you could cuebid, but that might
♦2 deny a clear direction. Here you know you
♣ K 10 6 2 want to play clubs, so jump to four clubs,
which is forcing. You can cuebid later.
1♣ Pass
1♠ 2♦ 2♥ Pass
?
“Practice is the best of all instructors.”

— Publilius Syrus
Dealer: South North

At the world championships in Veldhoven last year, Vul: North- ♠ 10 7 3
everyone was impressed by the performance of the South ♥Q753
♦AKJ4
Indonesian women. In this deal from their semifinal ♣97
against England, Grace Tueje made a nice play, one that West East
♠4 ♠QJ965
decided the match in her side's favor.
♥ 10 8 6 4 2 ♥K9
♦ 10 8 6 ♦Q952
When South upgraded her hand to a two-club opener, ♣ 10 8 4 2 ♣J3
North was now happy to let her partner try for the slam South
♠AK82
bonus. ♥AJ
♦73
Against six no-trump West led the spade four, covered by ♣AKQ65
the seven, nine and ace. Declarer went after clubs first,
and things did not look good for her side when East 2♣ Pass 2♠* Dbl.
discarded the spade five on the third round. A fourth 3♣ Pass 3♦ Pass
round of clubs saw declarer pitch a diamond from dummy 3 NT Pass 6 NT All pass
(having let go a heart on the third club), and East *Three controls (two for an ace, one
for a king)
discarded the spade six.
Opening Lead: ♠4
Now West switched to the diamond six, and declarer put
up dummy’s ace and played a heart to the jack. When that held, she cashed the last club,
West discarding the heart six, dummy the spade three, and East the diamond five. She
next cashed the heart ace, and when the king fell, she had to decide who held the
diamond queen. If it was West, a simple finesse would suffice, but since East appeared to
have started with four cards in that suit, she played her for that card by leading a diamond
to the king. Now the heart queen squeezed East between spades and diamonds for the
contract.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: In the context of limit raises, you
South Holds: couldn't have a better hand. While there is a
♠ 10 7 3 slim chance that you have three fast spade
♥Q753 losers, I think your third-round club control
♦AKJ4 allows you to bid five diamonds now,
♣97 suggesting an additional diamond control
and no spade control. The five-level really
South West North East should be safe.
1♥ Pass
3♥ Pass 4♣ Pass
4♦ Pass 4♥ Pass
?
“And who's of this or that estate

We do not wholly calculate,
When baffling shades that shift and cling
Are not without their glimmering.”
Dealer: North North

In the 2011 Bermuda Bowl Seniors match between France Vul: East- ♠ A 10 2
and Poland, both tables defended four spades. Jerzy West ♥AKJ5
♦ 10 5 4 3
Russyan for Poland led the spade five to the nine and ♣ 10 7
queen, and Francois Leenhardt took the heart finesse at West East
♠854 ♠J9
trick two, losing to the queen. Krzysztof Lasocki led the
♥ 10 9 8 4 ♥Q6
diamond king back, and Leenhardt won the ace, drew ♦72 ♦KQ98
trumps, and tried to split the hearts. When that failed, he ♣AJ92 ♣Q8543
South
tried a club to the king and was one down when that suit ♠KQ763
too was unfriendly : minus 50. ♥732
♦AJ6
♣K6
For France, Philippe Vanhoutte led the diamond seven to
the queen and ace and Apolinary Kowalski drew trumps in South West North East
three rounds, ending in dummy. Now he led a diamond 1♣ Pass
toward his jack, which East had to duck. (Had he taken 1♠ Pass 1 NT Pass
2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass
his queen, he would have built a discard for declarer’s 2♠ Pass 3♠ Pass
heart loser.) 4♠ All pass
Now Kowalski followed up by cashing the heart ace and Opening Lead: ♥10
king. When the queen appeared, two more rounds of
hearts (with the diamond loser being pitched) endplayed Vanhoutte to concede a trick to
the club king. That was plus 450 for 11 IMPs to Poland.
Given that diamonds were 4-2, Kowalski understood that if the heart finesse was working,
he did not need to take it — at least if the hearts were breaking 3-3 or 4-2. Had the heart
queen not appeared, he could have played a third heart anyway. Even if West could win
cheaply and play the fourth heart, Kowalski would simply discard his diamond loser, and
the endplay would still ensure the contract.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Three diamonds. Although I'm
South Holds: loath to suggest additional conventions for
♠KQ763 the intermediate player, I believe that a raise
♥732 to three diamonds should be forcing now.
♦AJ6 With a weak hand here, South should bid
♣K6 either fourth suit or two no-trump (whichever
is cheaper) as an artificial statement of
South West North East weakness, denying five cards in his original
1♦ Pass suit. Repeating his own suit should simply
1♠ Pass 2♥ Pass
show five cards and be a one-round force.
?
ANSWER: Unfortunately, your doubleton

heart does not tell you whether partner has
Dear Mr. Wolff: scattered values with two or three hearts, or
Please assess the blame. West opened if he has a strong hand with four hearts and
three spades to my right, and I held 14 is looking for a penalty. Since with the latter
points in aces and kings, with two spades, hand he might have redoubled on the round
three hearts, and four cards in each minor. I before, I will play safely and bid one spade,
passed, and when my partner let it go with then apologize later.
four decent spades and 12 points, it was
passed out; down five for 500! Meanwhile,
we could have made 660 in three no-trump. Dear Mr. Wolff:
Did either of us do anything wrong?
At my club, the reigning expert opened three
— Finger-Pointer, Fort Walton Beach, Fla. spades against me. I passed, holding two
small cards each in spades and hearts, six
diamonds to the ace, and three low clubs.
ANSWER: If you forced me to act with one My RHO bid three no-trump, and now my
of the hands, I would double three spades in partner sacrificed in four clubs. The expert
the direct seat, aware that this is an overbid bid four spades, raised to six spades! At
but feeling obligated to take the pressure off favorable vulnerability would you sacrifice
partner. With the responding hand I would when the bidding comes back to you, and if
surely pass if three spades came around to not, what would you lead?
me; one can't balance and play partner to — Biting the Bullet, East Brunswick, N.J.
hold this much. Nobody did anything silly at
your table.
ANSWER: I would never sacrifice here.
Even if you are right, you are probably going
Dear Mr. Wolff: to get a zero for minus 800. I'd lead the
Do you like the idea of signaling suit diamond ace. Dummy surely has all the
preference on the suits attacked by your other first-round controls. Maybe I can give
opponents? When if ever should you instead my partner a ruff, or cash a second diamond.
signal count or attitude?
— Signal Corps, Rockford, Ill. Dear Mr. Wolff:
I play contract bridge with a group of friends.
ANSWER: Never signal attitude on a suit Recently one of the players mentioned a rule
played by your opponent. You never need to I had never heard of nor could I confirm it in
do that – if your opponent has played the my bridge books. If I open with one in a suit,
wrong suit you should already be doing just she said I may not rebid that suit, unless I
fine! Signal count only if you think partner's have six there. Is that sensible advice?
play in that suit or another suit will depend — Second Hand Rose, Jackson, Tenn.
on the number of cards you hold. Otherwise
play up the line as a default, or if you think
partner is paying attention, use your small
cards for suit preference. ANSWER: This is sensible advice but is not
a rule, more a guideline. A better way to put
it is that facing a one-level response, you
would only rebid a five-card minor if it looked
Dear Mr. Wolff: like six and had no viable alternative. But
I was confronted with an unusual auction in situations sometimes demand it, when you
a recent club match. I opened one club, my cannot bid one no-trump and have no
LHO doubled, my partner passed, and and second suit.
my RHO bid one heart. This was passed For the record, facing a two-level response,
back to my partner, who doubled. Holding you are often faced with a flawed two no-
♠ Q-9-8-3, ♥ J-10, ♦ K-Q-9, ♣ A-Q-5-2, trump rebid, or the need to repeat a
should I pass or bid? moderate five-carder. In general what you do
— Torn in Two, Levittown, Pa. here is more about style than right or wrong.
“It is commonly said, and more particularly by Lord Shaftesbury, that ridicule is the best
test of truth.”
— Lord Chesterfield
Dealer: South North

While a fair percentage of the North-South field reached Vul: East- ♠85
four spades on this deal from a major pairs game, with West ♥Q5
♦ K 10 9 6
mixed success, two spades was a sensible partscore. ♣KQ932
West East
The club six was often the lead from West, and declarer ♠Q9 ♠ J 10 4
usually put up dummy’s king to muddy the waters. When ♥KJ9762 ♥ A 10 4
♦754 ♦J82
East took the ace, he had the problem of whether to play ♣65 ♣ A 10 8 4
for a ruff or to cash the hearts. It looked reasonable to South
♠AK7632
return a club, and now declarer was in with a shout to ♥83
make his game. ♦AQ3
♣J7
However, when he takes the club jack, he has to decide
what to do next. Obviously, he has two potential winners 1♠ Pass 1 NT Pass
in dummy for his heart losers. And indeed if diamonds are 2♠ All pass
3-3, he might emerge with 11 tricks, but if he plays for the
diamond break, he might finish with only nine winners. For Opening Lead: ♣6
example, if he tests diamonds after cashing the top
spades and the suit breaks 4-2, he might not get the club discard in time.
The best play is to enlist the opposition’s help by leading the diamond queen before
cashing the spade ace-king. Both defenders can be expected to give honest count,
perhaps each assuming their partner has the diamond ace. Now when the suit seems to
be 3-3, declarer can cash the top spades, unblock the diamonds, and follow up with the
club queen. When the same hand is long in both black suits, declarer can next play the
13th diamond and get both his hearts away for an additional, and valuable, overtrick.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: This is a simple choice between
South Holds: the majors. Is a spade lead more likely to
♠ 10 4 3 give declarer something he cannot do for
♥86 himself, given that partner rates to be 5-5 or
♦K752 5-4 in the majors (and unsuitable for a
♣Q943 reopening double)? I lean toward a heart if
only because this might go some way to
South West North East insuring a ruff or overruff for our side.
1♠ 2♣
Pass Pass 2♥ Pass
2♠ 3♣ All pass
“Wickedness is always easier than virtue, for it takes the shortcut to everything.”
— Samuel Johnson
Dealer: East North

Tim Bourke of Canberra, Australia, spotted this fine play in Vul: East- ♠AQ87
a delicate 4-3 fit from the Transnational Open Teams at West ♥ 10 5 4 3
♦ 10 2
the last world championships. ♣AK7
West East
Against four spades West led the spade jack to the seven, ♠J6 ♠ 10 9 3 2
♥QJ82 ♥AK76
two and king. At trick two, declarer played the heart nine
♦K843 ♦J65
around to East’s king. That player switched to the ♣J64 ♣53
diamond five to his partner’s king, on which declarer South
♠K54
unblocked the 10 from dummy. ♥9
♦AQ97
Now West returned the spade six. To maintain trump ♣ Q 10 9 8 2
control and to cater to a possible 4-2 trump break,
declarer played the eight from dummy. South won with the Pass
nine and persevered with the three to dummy’s queen. 1♣ Pass 1♥ Pass
Declarer cashed the spade ace to draw the last trump, 1♠ Pass 2♦* Pass
then finessed in diamonds, cashed the diamond ace
(dropping the jack), then played the diamond queen. The *Fourth suit forcing
clubs provided the rest of the tricks, giving 620 to East- Opening Lead: ♠J
West.
It was impossible to see, but had East continued with a top spade at trick three, the
combination of the bad lies in spades and diamonds would have been too much for
declarer. Of course, the auction had given him no chance to get this right.
But declarer had deviated from the winning line, one that he really should have spotted.
Declarer’s best play is to duck trick one! Now the defenders cannot do anything. Maybe a
club shift would be best, attacking declarer’s communications, but so long as he plays
diamonds for two tricks, one way or another he is home.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Resist the temptation to use the
South Holds: ubiquitous and iniquitous cuebid simply to
♠K54 announce a good hand. This is a task for …
♥9 super-cuebid. Here a jump to four hearts is a
♦AQ97 splinter agreeing clubs and setting up a
♣ Q 10 9 8 2 game-force. As you can see, slam might be
cold facing the right minimum hand, and you
South West North East owe it to your partner not to give up on it just
1♥ 2♣ 2♥ because both opponents are bidding.
?
“The Poets … overtake

The Ideal with the brush, or, soaring, wake
Far in the rolling clouds their glorious strings.”
— Lloyd Mifflin
Dealer: South North

In today's deal you have bid to what looks like an Vul: East- ♠AQJ83
excellent no-trump slam. North's jump to six may seem West ♥852
♦875
precipitous, but he has so many high cards that it would ♣QJ
be pessimistic not to drive to slam. West East
♠9752 ♠4
♥K6 ♥Q743
Since you have nine tricks outside hearts, three tricks
♦J643 ♦ Q 10
from that source will give you your contract. However, ♣876 ♣ 10 9 5 4 3 2
while it might appear that all you need to do is find one South
♠ K 10 6
heart honor onside, you will need to exercise considerable ♥ A J 10 9
care in managing your entries. Can you see why? ♦AK92
♣AK
The point is that you may need to take three finesses in
hearts, so you should arrange your play of the spade suit 2♣ Pass 2♠ Pass
with this in mind. After winning the club lead, you play the 2 NT Pass 6 NT All pass
spade king and overtake with the ace. The first heart
finesse loses to West’s queen and you win the club return. Opening Lead: ♣8
You then lead the spade 10, overtaking with dummy’s
queen when West follows low.
If spades break 3-2, you can afford this double overtake; the spade jack will draw West’s
last spade. If instead East began with a singleton spade, you will have cleared the way for
a finesse of dummy’s spade eight! Let’s say that East does indeed show out on the
second spade. You take a second heart finesse, which wins, and return to dummy with a
marked finesse of the spade eight. After cashing the spade jack and spade three, you
finesse for the third time in hearts and mark up your slam.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: How many points are there in
South Holds: this deck? Since it is very common
♠AQJ83 nowadays to use a jump to two spades as
♥852 semi-pre-emptive (the same hand but with,
♦875 say, ace-fifth of spades), it is not easy to
♣QJ show a limit bid in spades. Best is to pass —
which initially indicates nothing to say —
South West North East then to jump in spades to show a real spade
1♦ Dbl. Rdbl. invitation.
?
by Bobby Wolff on November 1st, 2012
“To mischief trained, e'en from his mother's womb,

Grown old in fraud, though yet in manhood’s bloom.”
— Charles Churchill
Dealer: North North

When the Open teams of England and Turkey met in the Vul: North- ♠ Q 10 9 8 5
2008 European Championships, Yalcin Atabey of Turkey South ♥32
♦A8
had done well to reach five clubs as South. Those ♣AJ42
declarers who ended in three no-trump,whether North or West East
♠A42 ♠J63
South, were doomed to fail, as both East and West had
♥ Q 10 9 7 5 ♥KJ4
natural red-suit leads. ♦752 ♦KQJ96
♣83 ♣97
In opposition were England’s Hackett twins, Justin and South
♠K7
Jason, and Justin led a heart against the club game. At ♥A86
first glance there appear to be three losers — one in each ♦ 10 4 3
♣ K Q 10 6 5
of the red suits plus the spade ace. But with those
excellent spade intermediates in dummy, the contract South West North East
looks safe. Declarer will win the heart lead, enter dummy 1♠ Pass
in trumps, and lead a spade to the king. West wins with 2♣ Pass 3♣ Pass
5♣ All pass
the ace and leads a heart to East’s king. East does best to
return a diamond. However, a spade to the queen and a Opening Lead: ♥10
spade ruff set up the suit. It only remains to finish drawing
trump and discard two diamonds from hand on dummy’s spades.
Declarer began as prophesied. At trick three, Atabey led a spade to the king, which held,
Justin ducking impassively. South continued with a spade to the 10. In with the jack,
Jason returned a diamond, taken by dummy’s ace. Atabey drew the remaining trumps,
then confidently led the spade queen, on which he discarded a diamond, believing that
East held the ace. But it was West who produced this card, and his diamond return saw
the game drift two down.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Whether you play two clubs as
South Holds: forcing or not, that is the call you should
♠K7 make now. You have no idea what the
♥A86 correct strain or level for this hand is (or
♦ 10 4 3 even if it is your side's hand), so make a
♣ K Q 10 6 5 natural call and wait to support spades at
your next turn, suggesting very much this
South West North East sort of hand.
1♦ 1♠ Pass
?
by Bobby Wolff on November 2nd, 2012
“As far as I'm concerned, I prefer silent vice to ostentatious virtue.”

— Albert Einstein
Dealer: North North

A vise squeeze conjures up images of the jaws tightening Vul: North- ♠ K 10 7 4
till something has to give. In England it is called a vice South ♥432
♦AQ73
squeeze, which conjures up a completely different image. ♣A8
West East
You don’t recognize the maneuver? Well, Antonio ♠QJ85 ♠A962
♥7 ♥KJ6
Sementa demonstrated it nicely here in a deal from the
♦82 ♦ 10 6 5 4
2011 Bermuda Bowl. ♣KQJ974 ♣32
South
Whereas four hearts had gone down without a fight in the ♠3
♥ A Q 10 9 8 5
other room (declarer winning the first club, cashing the ♦KJ9
heart ace, and running into a trump promotion), Sementa ♣ 10 6 5
ducked the first club, then led out the heart ace, and
overtook the diamond jack with the diamond queen to play 1♦ Pass
a second heart. East won the king and exited in 1♥ 3♣ Dbl. Pass
diamonds. 4♥ All pass
Sementa won in hand, drew the outstanding trump, then Opening Lead: ♣K
tested diamonds, ruffing the fourth diamond back to hand.
He had reached an ending where he had played four rounds of hearts, two clubs and four
diamonds. He could simply have played for the spade ace to be onside now, but the
auction had suggested this would not work.
Instead, Sementa led out the last trump. He was hoping to find the queen-jack of spades
onside together with the club guard. And so it proved. On the last trump West had to pitch
a spade, reducing to one honor and his master club, and now declarer led a spade up to
the queen, king and ace, scoring trick 13 with the spade 10.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Do not show this problem to
South Holds: anyone of an impressionable age or to a
♠ K 10 7 4 player suffering from a weak heart. My
♥432 recommendation is that you use four hearts
♦AQ73 as a slam-try in spades, neither promising
♣A8 nor denying a heart control. The logic is that
with four of a minor being natural here, you
South West North East need a slam-try for spades. The choice —
3♥ 3♠ Pass quite a reasonable alternative — is to jump
? to five spades to ask for a heart control.
by Bobby Wolff on November 3rd, 2012
“Must I change my triumphant songs? Said I to myself;

Must I indeed learn to chant the cold dirges of the baffled?
And sullen hymns of defeat?”
— Walt Whitman
Dealer: North North

Second hand low is not always best. Consider today's Vul: East- ♠Q95
deal from the 2011 Bermuda Bowl, where South generally West ♥532
♦Q9854
ended up playing two or three no-trump on a club lead to ♣74
his nine. All declarers next played the diamond king, and West East
♠ A 10 7 2 ♠K84
most Easts won the second diamond to return a club.
♥4 ♥ K 10 9 8 6
South does best to win and lead a spade, hoping to force ♦762 ♦ A 10 3
an entry to dummy's diamonds. ♣ Q 10 6 5 3 ♣82
South
♠J63
West should now infer that East must have the spade king ♥AQJ7
to have won the diamond. So if South leads a low spade, ♦KJ
♣AKJ9
West must insert the 10! Now the defenders can deny
declarer an entry to dummy whatever he does. By South West North East
contrast, if South starts by leading out the spade jack, Pass Pass
both defenders must duck. 2 NT Pass 3 NT All pass
When Chris Bosenberg of South Africa was declarer, he Opening Lead: ♣5

played on diamonds at trick two, and East took the
second diamond and played back a heart.
Declarer finessed, cashed the club ace, and exited with a low heart — a fine play. East
won and returned a low heart, letting declarer repeat the finesse (West pitching his
diamond and a club) and play a spade to the nine and king. That now ensured the entry to
dummy for the contract.
Here, the blocking play of the spade 10 by West would not have worked. East could win
the spade king and return a spade, but declarer could play the spade jack. Now West’s
winning the trick gives declarer the entry to dummy, while ducking the trick leads to West’s
being subsequently endplayed in spades.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You have just enough to raise to
South Holds: four spades. The reason is that had your
♠Q95 partner made a three-spade overcall, he
♥532 would have already shown a decent opening
♦Q9854 bid. The double followed by a new suit bid
♣74 shows even more extras, and while you
cannot be sure your diamond queen and
South West North East doubleton club will be useful, it is better to
3♣ Dbl. Pass have them than not.
3♦ Pass 3♠ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, October 21st, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on November 4th, 2012

Are the rules for bidding in sandwich seat Playing matchpoints, I was in second seat
the same as for making an overcall? with ♠ A-K, ♥ K-Q-7-4, ♦ A-10-6-3-2 ♣ A-2
Yesterday when vulnerable I dealt myself and opened one diamond. My partner, who
♠ K-Q-2, ♥ 9-7-4, ♦ 8-4, ♣ A-Q-8-3-2. I had five small spades and the doubleton
passed, but after one diamond to my left and king-queen of diamonds with no other
one heart to my right I felt obliged to bid two honors, passed. We made five while others
clubs. My partner subsequently did not played three no-trump and brought it home.
agree. What do you say? Could I have opened with an off-shape call
of two no-trump, and should my partner have
— Interrupter, Selma, Ala. responded one spade?
— Four in Hand, Montreal, Quebec
ANSWER: You should beware of overcalling
vulnerable at the two-level on suits without
decent intermediates, especially when you ANSWER: Yes, that is a respectable but not
don't know whether you really want the suit compulsory two-no-trump opening. With 20
you bid led. Here, why do you think a spade quasi-balanced points, go for the aggressive
lead would be bad, if that is your partner's action. (You may miss a diamond slam but
natural lead? you reach the major-suit games more easily.)
I'd also have responded one spade in an
attempt to improve the partscore. But
Dear Mr. Wolff: nobody did anything stupid; three no-trump,
on a club lead, surely needs at least one of
A recent column that appeared in the the red suits to behave.
Houston Chronicle dealt with how to play Q-
10-x facing A-9-8-x for three tricks. You
discussed the fact that running the queen Dear Mr. Wolff:
gives the defenders no chance to err, while
low toward the queen lets you read the table. I learned the club/diamond responses to
Can that approach be extended to Roman Keycard Blackwood as showing 1 or
advancing the 10 from hand with A-J-x-x in 4 and 0 or 3, respectively, and that is how I
dummy facing K-10-9-x? usually see it in your columns. But once in a
while, the responses are reversed. Is it
— Applying Pressure, Madison, Wis. simply partnership agreement to play it one
way versus the other? Is one way
advantageous somehow?
ANSWER: I like the idea of giving the
opponents a chance to play an honor, so — Back to Front, Canton, Ga.
here running the 10 to tempt a cover looks
best. But move the nine into the dummy and
leading the jack from that holding might give ANSWER: Yes, this is no more than a matter
you a chance to gauge the opponents' of partnership agreement. The 14/30
reactions. responses came after the other scheme;
there may be a small percentage advantage,
but it is more than outweighed by the issue
Dear Mr. Wolff: of remembering what you play!
With ♠ Q-9-8-3, ♥ 7-4, ♦ K-9, ♣ A-Q-6-4-3,
should I pass or bid? And does the
vulnerability or form of scoring matter?
— First Up, Grenada, Miss.
ANSWER: With a decent lead-directing suit

and a guaranteed easy rebid in spades, this
is a clear-cut opener, even in Standard
American. It would not take much to
persuade me to pass — for example, make
the second suit diamonds, not spades.
Equally, move my club queen into hearts so
that I held ace-fifth of clubs, and now my suit
is no longer one that I feel the need to
emphasize.
The Aces on Bridge: Monday, October 22nd, 2012
“What we anticipate seldom occurs; what we least expected generally happens.”

— Benjamin Disraeli
Dealer: South North

When the opponents pre-empt, you are often forced to Vul: Both ♠532
guess, as in today’s deal. But how unreasonable is it to ♥9
♦ K Q 10 8 7
bid slam here, hoping for the spade queen or spade ♣7652
length in dummy? West East
♠— ♠Q76
♥ Q J 10 8 7 6 4 3 ♥K52
The defenders lead the heart queen to your ace. You cash
♦AJ95 ♦642
the spade ace and your worst fears are realized when ♣4 ♣ 10 9 8 3
West discards on this trick. What should be your plan South
♠ A K J 10 9 8 4
next? ♥A
♦3
You must now strip all the clubs from the hand that has ♣AKQJ
the diamond ace. If East has only two clubs, you need to
decide which defender has the diamond ace, but why not 2♣ 5♥ Pass Pass
cash two clubs to see if you can find out more? Best is to 6♠ All pass
lead the club queen first. After all, West may give you
honest count if he thinks his partner needs to know when Opening Lead: ♥Q
to take his club winner.
When you cash a second top club, you discover the club break, so it is quite safe to take
just one of your remaining club winners (not both!), then lead a diamond. You need West
to have the diamond ace — if East had it, he could exit with his last club. When West wins
and plays a red suit, you win in dummy, pitching your club from hand and take the spade
finesse.
Note that had you cashed your last club before leading your diamond, whoever wins the
diamond ace can play a second diamond and force you to ruff in hand, preventing you
from taking the spade finesse.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Sometimes the simplest
South Holds: solutions are the best. Since declarer is as
♠Q765 likely as dummy to be short in hearts, you
♥K963 might as well lead a low heart. Partner can
♦J2 win and continue the suit in an attempt to tap
♣J94 declarer out and maybe establish your small
trumps.
1♣
Pass 1♦ 1♥ 1♠
3♥ 3♠ Pass 4♠
All pass
The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, October 23rd, 2012
“No one is such a liar as the indignant man.”

— Friedrich Nietzsche
Dealer: East North

To be third in hand at favorable vulnerability after two Vul: Neither ♠AK9
passes is a delightful position. You know that your left- ♥KQ86
♦A983
hand opponent has a good hand so you can make life as ♣85
difficult for him as you dare. West East
♠J3 ♠Q8765
♥953 ♥A42
Here West had a good club suit and virtually no defense,
♦72 ♦ K 10
so he opted for the three-level pre-empt, which worked ♣AKQJ96 ♣ 10 7 3
very well. North’s takeout double was clear and South was South
♠ 10 4 2
happy enough to bid his reasonable five-card diamond ♥ J 10 7
suit. That ended the auction. ♦QJ654
♣42
After cashing two rounds of clubs, West had to decide
what to do next and he found a good play, the opportunity Pass
for which crops up quite frequently if you are on the Pass 3♣ Dbl. Pass
lookout for it. He switched to the spade THREE. 3♦ All pass
Declarer won with the ace and no longer had a winning Opening Lead: ♣K
line. As soon as East got in with a red-suit trick, he could
play another spade, establishing his own queen, which he could cash when he was next
on lead.
Declarer now cashed the diamond ace and played hearts. East took his ace and led a
second spade. Declarer won and continued with hearts, hoping that East had four hearts
and three diamonds, but West ruffed with his diamond seven, and three diamonds went
down a trick.
Note that if West had switched to the spade jack, that would have sunk the defense, for
East would not have been able to continue the suit when he got in.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Did you get fancy, looking to play
South Holds: six clubs or five clubs here? Settle for
♠J3 simplicity and bid the cards in front of you.
♥953 Both slam and five clubs are a long way
♦72 away. Respond three no-trump and hope
♣AKQJ96 declarer can reach your clubs … and yes,
I'm only joking.
1 NT Pass
?
“You are my companion

Down the silver road,
Still and many-changing,
Infinitely changing.”
— Edith Wyatt
Dealer: North North

One of the most difficult decisions as a defender is to Vul: East- ♠AK2
know when to switch the point of attack when your West ♥43
♦AQ43
opening lead appears to have been successful. Take this ♣J976
hand, from the 2008 European Championships match West East
♠J873 ♠Q965
between Iceland and Norway.
♥75 ♥ Q J 10 9 2
♦J9876 ♦ 10
In response to his partner’s overcall, West, Norway’s Terje ♣K8 ♣A52
Aa, led a heart and declarer, Sverrir Armansson, correctly South
♠ 10 4
allowed Jorgen Molberg’s nine to hold, expecting the suit ♥AK86
to be divided 5-2 or 6-1. Had East continued hearts, ♦K52
♣ Q 10 4 3
declarer would have prevailed. So long as East held no
more than one club honor, Armannsson would have had South West North East
time to set up two club tricks. Although East could 1♦ 1♥
establish his hearts, he wouldn’t have the entry to enjoy 2 NT Pass 3 NT All pass
them.
Opening Lead: ♥7
But Molberg found the killing switch to a spade. With a
heart trick in the bag, the defenders were able to establish two spade tricks before
declarer could set up his clubs.
In the other room Norway’s Geir Helgemo, North, opened one no-trump and East did not
overcall. After a Stayman sequence, North ended in three no-trump and East led the heart
queen. Without an overcall to warn him, declarer had no indication that hearts divided 5-2.
The most likely heart division was 4-3, so the odds favored winning the first trick rather
than ducking and risking a spade switch. But luck was with Helgemo. When declarer led a
low club from dummy, West did not work out to fly with his king, and East won the trick
(yes, ducking would have been better), allowing declarer to prevail.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Even though you have only three
South Holds: spades, this hand is ideal for a takeout
♠AK2 double. Here, when you double one no-
♥43 trump, you show an opening hand and the
♦AQ43 values to double one heart for takeout.
♣J976 Partner will either pass with a penalty double
of hearts or describe his hand appropriately.
1♥ Pass 1 NT
?
“But what is Freedom? Rightly understood,

A universal license to be good.”
— Hartley Coleridge
Dealer: South North

Today's problem comes in two parts. Let's look at the Vul: North- ♠K4
opening lead first: What would be your choice as West South ♥J765
♦K632
here? You shouldn't seriously consider leading partner's ♣982
suit. He hasn't bid it voluntarily — you dragged the bid out West East
♠8 ♠ J 10 9 2
of him, and when he had the chance to double a club
♥KQ842 ♥ 10 9 3
cuebid, he did not do so. Declarer rates to have six ♦ A J 10 ♦74
spades and four diamonds, so a club lead could be ♣ K 10 7 3 ♣J654
South
straight into a tenace. A top heart looks safe, but a trump ♠AQ7653
is best, hoping to protect your holdings in all the outside ♥A
♦Q985
suits. A trump will not always be safe, but the odds favor it ♣AQ
not doing anything for declarer that he might not be able
to do for himself. And you might kill a diamond ruff in South West North East
1♠ Dbl. Pass 2♣
dummy. And today it would defeat four spades.
2♦ Pass 3♣ Pass
But let’s see what the expert declarer did in four spades
on the lead of the heart king. He won, cashed the spade Opening Lead: There’s the rub!
ace and king, then led a diamond from dummy to his
queen and ace. West was forced to return a diamond, and declarer won in dummy,
unblocking his diamond eight, and played a third diamond to his nine and West’s 10, East
pitching a discouraging club. What could West do now? Hoping that the diamond six
would not prove an entry, he played the heart queen. Declarer ruffed, played the spade
queen and another spade, and could win the club return with the ace, then cross to the
diamond six to discard the club queen. Contract made!
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: The auction has made it clear
South Holds: that you rate to be facing a very weak hand
♠AQ7653 with long clubs and short spades. If so,
♥A where do you think you want to play? I'd
♦Q985 guess a club part-score — wouldn't you? If
♣AQ your partner has six clubs to the jack, he
may take four tricks in his own hand in clubs
South West North East and offer you none in a spade contract.
Pass 1♥
Dbl. 2♥ Pass Pass
2♠ Pass 3♣ Pass
?
“A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is a visible labor and there is
an invisible labor.”
— Victor Hugo
Dealer: West North

In today's deal West knew that his opponents were in a Vul: North- ♠KQ984
thin three-no-trump contract (East had to have a few South ♥86
♦KJ43
points for his voluntary heart bid) and so was reluctant to ♣J4
lead a heart, which could easily have given declarer a West East
♠ A 10 5 3 ♠J72
trick. Instead, he chose what he hoped was a passive
♥Q5 ♥KJ743
diamond, and in a way he was right because the diamond ♦A982 ♦765
did not give anything away. ♣K53 ♣ 10 9
South
♠6
Declarer won in hand with the queen, played a club to ♥ A 10 9 2
dummy’s jack and East’s 10, then led a club back to his ♦ Q 10
♣AQ8762
queen, East following with the 10 and the nine, West
winning his king. South West North East
1 NT* 2♦** 2♥
West now switched to the heart queen, which held the 3 NT All pass
trick. What now? West continued with another heart, won *12-14
by declarer’s ace, and declarer rattled off four more club **Spades and another suit
tricks. At this stage declarer had seven tricks and needed
two more. Everyone was reduced to four cards, and as Opening Lead: ♦2
dummy was discarding after West, there was an answer
to anything the defense did. West’s best shot was to come down to three spades and a
singleton diamond ace. But declarer simply kept two diamonds and two spades in dummy
and led a diamond up.
When the heart queen held, what West needed to do was cash both his aces before he
played another heart. Since East had given count in clubs and hearts, West might have
been able to work out declarer’s shape. This defense forces declarer to give East a heart
trick after he has cashed his clubs.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Pass. A double of two diamonds
South Holds: would be penalty here, but you need rather
♠KQ984 more in defensive strength than this hand.
♥86 Since the opponents are fairly sure to be
♦KJ43 correcting to two hearts now, a contract
♣J4 against which you have no sure winners,
you don't want to encourage partner to
South West North East double that contract unless he has real
1♥ extras on defense.
1♠ Pass 2♣ 2♦
?
“Still you are not satisfied,

Still you tremble faint reproach;
Challenge me I keep aside
Secrets that you may not broach.”
— D.H Lawrence
Dealer: North North

In today's deal South might have looked for a slam after Vul: Neither ♠ 9 3
the two-no-trump rebid. Over the forcing rebid of three ♥K65
♦ A Q 10
spades, North can cooperate with slam interest or sign off ♣AKQJ5
in no-trump or spades with a minimum in context. West East
♠7 ♠K842
♥ Q J 10 3 ♥A98
As it was, though, it was just as well that South restrained
♦J762 ♦843
himself, because even 10 tricks proved quite difficult to ♣7643 ♣982
accumulate. West led the heart queen and declarer rightly South
♠ A Q J 10 6 5
refused to play dummy’s king on the first two rounds. (If ♥742
West held Q-J-10-x-x, East’s ace would appear on the ♦K95
♣ 10
second round and dummy’s king would be worth a trick.)
But how would you continue the play when the defenders 1♣ Pass
take three heart tricks and East then switches to a club? 1♠ Pass 2 NT Pass
You win in dummy and run the trump nine successfully. 4♠ All pass
When you lead dummy’s last trump and finesse the
Opening Lead: ♥Q
queen, West shows out. What now? You must aim for a
trump-coup end-position where you hold A-J of trumps in your hand and the lead is in
dummy. Because of the shortage of entries to dummy, you must cross your fingers and
lead a diamond to the 10, ruff a club, re-enter dummy with the diamond queen, and ruff
another club. When you cross to dummy’s diamond ace East follows suit, and you have
reached the required two-card end position. Your A-J of trumps sit over East’s K-8 and the
lead is in dummy. You can play a club and take the rest whatever East does.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your quick tricks might suggest
South Holds: bidding three no-trump here, but in fact two
♠93 no-trump will suffice. That shows 18-19 in a
♥K65 balanced hand and lets partner participate in
♦ A Q 10 the decision of whether to play in a part-
♣AKQJ5 score or a game. A call of three clubs would
be cowardly; and on a spade lead it might
South West North East play equally badly because of the risk of
Pass heart ruffs.
1♣ 2♥ Pass Pass
?
ANSWER: With relatively short diamonds,

you are supposed to act with marginal
Dear Mr. Wolff: values. While I would have overcalled one
I held ♠ A-J-8-3-2, ♥ J-10-7-4, ♦ Q-9, ♣ 9-3, diamond with a one-heart bid, I think
but did not overcall against a strong club. doubling two diamonds gives you the best
This worked particularly well because the chance to find a fit. If partner is weak with
opponents arrived at three no-trump. I clubs, you can blame him for having the
opened with a low spade and we took the wrong hand! Make the hearts just a little
first five spades for down one. Declarer had stronger, and I'd go for the overcall.
gambled on the no-trump game without a
spade stopper because neither my partner
nor I had bid spades. He had assumed they Dear Mr. Wolff:
rated to break 4-4. Should I have bid?
I have zero interest in bridge but I do read
— Reassessment, Hackensack, N.J. your quotes with the anticipation that I will
understand one in 10 of them! Just what
level of intelligence or study do you think it
ANSWER: The question of whether to takes to understand all or most of them? If
overcall against one club is problematic. If nothing else, it challenges my mental acuity
your partner had been on lead to the final and I look forward to the stimulation when I
contract, you might have got a zero, not a connect — which obviously isn't very often!
top, I suppose I tend to bid at my first — Tom the Piper's Son, San Diego, Calif.
opportunity and let them draw the inferences
at their peril.
ANSWER: I'm glad you asked me. When
I've written the deal up, I look for a theme in
Dear Mr. Wolff: the play or the bidding and try to find a quote
My club teacher said that unless you have at that picks up on this. If I am short of
least two aces in your hand, you should not inspiration, I look for something funny, or
use Blackwood. This teacher plays duplicate striking.
bridge successfully, but are there different
rules for rubber bridge?
Dear Mr. Wolff:
— On Demand, Pleasanton, Calif.
I like to cut the deck as close to the bottom
as I can (my grandpappy having instilled
ANSWER: This was not good advice, "Cut thin to win" into my subconscious).
though I understand the sentiment. It is Recently my cut was questioned. Is there a
certainly true in a slam-going auction that minimum number of cards that must appear
you shouldn't bid Blackwood if you can't in each pile? And what happens after the cut
handle a response of two aces or key cards. is made?
But you can certainly ask with one ace if you — The Unkindest Cut, Bay City, Mich.
have the appropriate hand.
ANSWER: Each half must have four or more

Dear Mr. Wolff: cards in the cut. It is proper for the dealer to
Would you overcall a weak two diamonds put them back in one pile. Good luck and
with either a double or a two-heart bid when enjoy your bridge. You can download the
you hold ♠ Q-10-9-4, ♥ K-J-7-3-2, ♦ A-2, ♣ J- official rules from the ACBL web site here.
4? What would be your reason for acting, or
passing?
— Youth Wants to Know, Durham, N.C.
“It gets late early out there.”

— Yogi Berra
Dealer: South North

It happens more often than it should that declarer falls at Vul: East- ♠ 10 4
the first hurdle – by miscalculating whether to duck or win West ♥A65
♦J742
the trick. Today, when West leads the spade six against ♣ A Q 10 6
three no-trump, East covers the 10 with the jack. How do West East
♠Q9862 ♠J75
you plan to make nine tricks?
♥84 ♥ Q J 10 9 3
♦ 10 8 6 3 ♦A9
If you let the spade jack hold, East will shift to the heart ♣72 ♣K83
queen very smartly and, as he has two entries to his heart South
♠AK3
suit, you will lose a spade, three hearts, a diamond and a ♥K72
club for down two. ♦KQ5
♣J954
So you must win the first trick and then decide which
minor suit to play next. I hope you will see that you should 1 NT Pass 3 NT All pass
play on diamonds next, because tackling clubs first would
see you lose the contract whenever West began with five Opening Lead: ♠6
spades, as well as the diamond ace, and East started with
the club king.
So you should lead the diamond king next. East wins his diamond ace and exits with a
spade. Only now do you duck the spade, severing the link in spades between the
defenders’ hands.
You will win the next trick in hand and take the club finesse by running the club nine. East
will win the king and will have no spade to play. So you will make two tricks in each of
spades, hearts and diamonds, plus three in clubs.
Note that even if East did have a spade to play, you would still take nine tricks as long as
spades were originally 4-4.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Dummy is going to put down a
South Holds: Yarborough with long spades, while declarer
♠K982 has at least six diamonds and about a 19-
♥ 10 8 6 3 count. Your target should be to look for the
♦K5 most passive option. My guess would be to
♣J84 lead a spade since I expect declarer to have
no more than a singleton. Thus leading the
South West North East suit cannot cost a trick.
1♣ Dbl.
1♥ Pass 1 NT 2♦
Pass 2♠ Pass 3♦
All pass
“You gotta have a swine to show you where the truffles are.”
— Edward Albee
Dealer: West North

Regular partnerships have firm agreements about leading Vul: Both ♠ K 10 9 8 2
honors against no-trump. One of the more sensible ♥2
♦J983
agreements is that from ace-king combinations, you lead ♣ K Q 10
the king if you want your partner to unblock the queen or West East
♠4 ♠QJ753
jack, while the ace asks for attitude. Under the king, third
♥AKJ87 ♥ 10 9 6 3
hand drops an honor if he has one, or signals count. ♦ K 10 5 ♦Q76
♣7632 ♣4
Today, against three no-trump West leads the heart king South
♠A6
and East follows with the 10, suggesting a four-card suit. ♥Q54
Now West knows a heart continuation would set up ♦A42
♣AJ985
South’s queen, so he shifts to a club. Declarer wins the
king and has to find a way to a ninth trick. South West North East
1♥ 1♠ 2♥
While declarer could hope to develop a trick from the Dbl. Pass 3♦ Pass
spades, diamonds offer far more hope. At trick three, 3 NT All pass
declarer must lead the diamond eight from the board, as a
Opening Lead: ♥K
sort of avoidance play. He is trying to set up a diamond
trick while keeping East off lead. This approach will produce two tricks when East has only
one of the diamond 10, queen or king.
Here West wins the diamond and plays a spade. South wins in hand, leads a club to the
board, then plays the diamond jack, intending to let that card run if East plays low. When
East covers, declarer wins the ace and plays a third diamond, thus setting up the long
diamond for his ninth winner.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: On this auction your partner's
South Holds: two-spade call suggests a weak hand with
♠A6 no game interest and approximately a five-
♥Q54 card suit. In just the same way that you
♦A42 complete the transfer when partner asks you
♣AJ985 to, so here you must pass two spades. If
your partner were interested in another
South West North East strain or a higher level, he would not have
1 NT 2♦ 2♠ Pass signed off, as he did here.
?
The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, October 31st, 2012
“The thought behind I strove to join

Unto the thought before,
But sequence ravelled out of reach
Like balls upon a floor.”
— Emily Dickinson
Dealer: South North

Four hearts appears to be a simple enough contract, but Vul: Both ♠86
as always, you need to make the right plan at the start of ♥Q94
♦K54
the play. You should aim to score five trumps, four clubs ♣ A K 10 6 5
and the spade ace. West East
♠ K Q J 10 9 4 ♠52
♥J6 ♥ 10 8 2
You will need to ruff the clubs good if they divide 4-2,
♦ 10 8 7 ♦AQJ3
which is the most likely split. ♣72 ♣J983
South
After establishing the clubs, you will have to draw trumps, ♠A73
♥AK753
ending in the dummy. ♦962
♣Q4
It follows that you should not aim to take a spade ruff.
(That would be so even if West had not bid, thereby South West North East
1♥ 2♠ 3♣ Pass
alerting you to the risk of an overruff by East.)
How does the play go? Best is to win the spade lead (for
Opening Lead: ♠K
fear of a diamond switch) and draw just two rounds of
trumps with the ace and king. You then play the club queen and ace and ruff a club in the
South hand. This line would cost you an overtrick if clubs happened to break 3-3. But it is
in a good cause, though, because you give yourself an extra chance when clubs break 4-
2. Here West is out of clubs, but cannot overruff.
You return to dummy with a trump to the queen and score two more club tricks.
The trap on the deal would be to start by drawing trumps. After that start you would make
the contract only if clubs broke 3-3 or the diamond ace was with West.
Incidentally, if trumps broke 4-1, you would just run the clubs, pitching spades, and hope
for the best.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Whenever you have three
South Holds: spades on this auction and your values are
♠A73 in the majors, you should consider raising
♥AK753 spades rather than rebidding no-trump. Even
♦962 if partner is relatively short in hearts, your
♣Q4 hand offers the possibility for ruffs or useful
discards when played at spades. So it looks
South West North East right to raise to two spades here.
1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, November 1st, 2012
“Inspiration descends only in flashes, to clothe circumstances; it is not stored up in a

barrel, like salt herrings, to be doled out.”
— Patrick White
Dealer: North North

In 2007 the trials were held to determine the second USA Vul: North- ♠J8
Open Teams spot, and the squads captained by Seymon South ♥AJ4
♦AKJ863
Deutsch and Rose Meltzer met in the quarter-finals. On ♣32
the deal that followed, Bart Bramley and Sidney Lazard West East
♠A952 ♠K73
for the Deutsch team came off better.
♥ 10 9 ♥7632
♦975 ♦ 10 4
Bramley and Lazard are one of the few pairs who have ♣A765 ♣KJ98
stuck with a version of Standard American more common South
♠ Q 10 6 4
in the 60s and 70s; but they have no shortage of ♥KQ85
inspiration in both the bidding and the play. Against three ♦Q2
♣ Q 10 4
no-trump, Bramley led the spade two (standard fourth-
highest leads) and Lazard played the spade king, which South West North East
held. West’s lead, coupled with the bidding, suggested 1♦ Pass
that South held four cards in each major, and dummy’s 1♥ Pass 2♦ Pass
diamond suit looked likely to provide six tricks.
Opening Lead: ♠2
Any guesses as to which card Lazard played back at trick
two? Yes, it was a club — but which? He chose the king, and when that held, followed up
with the club eight. To declarer, it appeared that for his club-king switch, East must also
hold the ace. So she rose with her queen, and now the game ended two light, courtesy of
four club tricks plus the two top spades.
Lazard’s play could hardly cost. With any needed finesse in the red suits working for
declarer, a shift to clubs might cost overtricks, but it was virtually impossible for it to cost
the contract.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: It is a matter of partnership
South Holds: agreement (or dispute) whether an advance
♠ Q 10 6 4 by fourth hand into a major shows a
♥KQ85 minimum of four cards or five. Certainly one
♦Q2 should not bid a bad four-card major here;
♣ Q 10 4 my belief is that a five-card holding is the
norm. Either way, the most practical option is
South West North East to bid one no-trump and wait for partner to
1♣ 1♦ Pass introduce a major if he has one.
?
The Aces on Bridge: Friday, November 2nd, 2012
“I'll be with you in the squeezing of a lemon.”

— Oliver Goldsmith
Dealer: South North

Today's three-no-trump deal was too difficult for all the Vul: Neither ♠ K Q 7
players at the table. But will you, as West, be able to solve ♥AQ873
♦ J 10 9 2
the puzzle? ♣5
West East
Declarer won the spade lead in dummy, East following ♠AJ83 ♠6542
♥J962 ♥ 10 4
with the six to suggest an even number of spades. Now,
♦K43 ♦Q86
instead of going after clubs, declarer (who had begun with ♣Q6 ♣ J 10 4 2
the doubleton heart king) played four rounds of hearts, South
♠ 10 9
pitching clubs from hand as East discarded the two then ♥K5
four of spades. ♦A75
♣AK9873
Can you work out what is going on — and what the killing
defense is now? 1♣ Pass 1♥ Pass
2♣ Pass 2♠ Pass
You should have built up a picture of East’s hand as four 3 NT All pass
small spades and two hearts, together with three
diamonds and four clubs. His failure to discard a Opening Lead: ♠3
discouraging diamond marks him with an honor. Logic
suggests that he has queen-third of diamonds or else he would surely have kept two
spades, rather than break the partnership communication in that suit.
The winning defense is to take the spade ace now, then exit with the club queen, hoping
partner has as little as 10-fourth of that suit. Declarer can do no better than win the club
and hope to split the suit. When East takes his two club winners, you will discard a spade,
then a diamond, and — to add insult to injury — the last club squeezes dummy! Declarer
will end up with just seven tricks.
Yes, declarer should have played on clubs not hearts, but that is no reason to give him
back his contract.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your hand may be at or below
South Holds: the minimum end of the range, but you have
♠KQ7 just enough to show a splinter raise of
♥AQ873 diamonds by jumping to four clubs. This
♦ J 10 9 2 shows four-card diamond support and a
♣5 singleton or void in clubs. Since you have no
interest in playing no-trump, you might as
South West North East well describe your hand at one go, then let
1♥ 2♣ 2♦ Pass partner take control.
?
The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, November 3rd, 2012
“O day and night, but this is wondrous strange!”

Dealer: South North

The intrafinesse is one of the more obscure bridge plays Vul: Neither ♠ K 9 6 4
and comes in all shapes and sizes. Often the problem is ♥A
♦KJ83
simply determining whether to go for the play, or to rely on ♣J984
something else. West East
♠Q5
♠AJ872
♥ Q 10 9 6 5 4
Here, at matchpoints, Kit Woolsey as South reached four ♥J87
2
no-trump. On a heart lead declarer required the clubs to ♦952
♦6
♣ Q 10
lie in a very specific fashion in order for them to produce ♣K73
South
three tricks. He needed the doubleton 10 sitting over him ♠ 10 3
or to for East to hold a doubleton king-queen or bare ♥K3
♦ A Q 10 7 4
honor. ♣A652
However, the key to the hand is to avoid committing South West North East
yourself at once, but to win the heart ace, and take two 1♦ 1♠ 2♣ 3♥
top diamonds, at which point you find East with shortage. 3 NT 4♥ 4 NT All pass
On that basis you should play West for short clubs,
Opening Lead: ♥7
namely the club Q-10 or K-10. What you do is lead up to
the club jack, varying your play according to what West does. If (as happened at the table)
he puts up his honor and clears the hearts, go to dummy in diamonds and play the club
jack to squash the 10. When the cards lay exactly as Woolsey required them to do, he
racked up plus 430 for a fine result, since the heart sacrifice costs only 300.
West could have left declarer with work to do had he put in the club 10 on the first round
of the suit. Then Woolsey would have had to decide whether West had a singleton10, a
doubleton 10, or his actual holding.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Over your partner's fourth-suit-
South Holds: forcing bid, you have to choose the least
♠ 10 3 misdescriptive call available. You could rebid
♥K3 diamonds, raise hearts, or introduce no-
♦ A Q 10 7 4 trump. The last option is least attractive, and
♣A652 raising hearts sounds like three-card
support, so maybe you have to repeat your
South West North East diamonds and hope for the best.
1♦ Pass 1♥ Pass
2♣ Pass 2♠ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, November 4th, 2012
ANSWER: Whenever you hold four-card

support for a suit you know partner has
Dear Mr. Wolff: shown, you should consider competing at
Where do you stand on opening tactically at least once. Here, if you do not bid two
favorable vulnerability (or both spades right now, there may be no more
nonvulnerable) with a good suit in a shapely bidding! And acting at once makes your
hand lacking the firepower for a regular LHO's task of showing some support for
opening? For example would you ever open diamonds more expensive. By getting your
♠ 3-2, ♥ A-J-10-7-4, ♦ K-Q-9-4, ♣ 10-8 in first oar in first, you prevent the opponents from
or second seat? conveying information efficiently.
— Foot in Mouth, Riverside, Calif.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
ANSWER: This does not look like an I understand that Monaco will compete in
opening bid to me, but I admit that if there next year's Bermuda Bowl with a team of
were a stray jack in a black suit, that might hired guns. Have you any comments?
illogically tip me to bidding. The — The Shootist, Richmond, Va.
concentrated honors and ease of rebid might
allow me to open in first seat nonvulnerable.
With spades I'd be less inclined to bid. I
normally get a second chance later. ANSWER: Professionalism has taken over
bridge. If a team has met a tournament's
residence requirements, it should be allowed
to play. Whether those residence
Dear Mr. Wolff: requirements are strict enough, I do not
What are the penalties for passing out of know. I'm guessing that owning a house but
turn? spending less than half the year in it might
entitle you to change residence and play for
— Out of Order, Spartanburg, S.C. that country. Should it? You be the judge.
ANSWER: Assuming the pass is not Dear Mr. Wolff:

condoned, then if no one has yet bid, or it is
the turn of the offender's RHO to speak, the What constitutes a pre-emptive raise of your
offender must pass at his next turn to speak. partner's opening and his overcall? What
If it is the partner of the offender to speak, distinguishes a pre-emptive raise from a
the partner can bid what he likes — but may mixed raise — a term that is bandied about
not double. And the offender is barred with increasing frequency, it appears? Into
throughout, with possible lead penalties which range does a hand like ♠ K-4, ♥ J-10-
later. 7-4, ♦ Q-9-3, ♣ J-7-4-2 fall in support of
hearts?
— Hopper, Wausau, Wis.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
My RHO opens one diamond and I pass with
♠ Q-9-3-2, ♥ J-9-7-4, ♦ K-Q-9, ♣ 9 -2. Now ANSWER: The hand you present is a
my LHO responds one heart and my partner perfect example of a mixed raise of hearts. It
doubles. RHO bids two clubs next. Should I has the shape for a pre-emptive raise but the
join in now, or wait for later? values for a simple raise. With fewer high-
cards, one makes a pre-emptive raise. With
— Waiting to Spring, Duluth, Minn. more, one makes a Jordan bid of two no-
trump after a double, or a cuebid after an
overcall.
The Aces on Bridge: Monday, November 5th, 2012
“A throw of the dice will never eliminate chance.”

— Stephane Mallarme
Dealer: East North

In a recent Junior European Championship the Greek Vul: East- ♠ Q 10
team, sitting North-South here, put in a serious entry for West ♥J85
♦A84
the luckiest board not only of the tournament but of the ♣ Q J 10 5 2
decade! The defense can cash out spades against three West East
♠J ♠AK96542
no-trump, while five clubs appears to have two top spade
♥K9643 ♥ 10 7
losers and an inevitable heart loser. ♦ J 10 5 ♦732
♣8743 ♣6
At the table, though, North’s conservative bid of four clubs South
♠873
set South up for his inspired bid of four diamonds, ♥AQ2
naturally raised by North to five diamonds. Remarkably, ♦KQ96
♣AK9
the 4-3 fit is the only available game for North-South
because of the spade ruff in the short trump hand. When South West North East
West led a spade, East won the spade king, cashed the 3♠
next spade, then played a heart. Dbl. Pass 4♣ Pass
4♦ Pass 5♦ All pass
However, declarer simply refused the heart finesse and
Opening Lead: ♠J
ruffed a spade in dummy, bringing his total to 11 tricks:
four diamonds, five clubs, the heart ace and the spade ruff. Of course he needed to guess
the trumps well, since when he led the third spade from hand and West ruffed in with the
jack, declarer still had to find the trump 10, but he did so.
Note that if East had played back a heart before cashing the spades, it prevents the ruff in
dummy. However, declarer would simply have taken the heart ace, drawn trump, and
discarded two spades on dummy’s clubs before setting up a heart. Similarly, if the opening
lead had been a minor, South would have cashed three rounds of trump and again
discarded his spades on dummy’s clubs.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: This is a penalty double,
South Holds: suggesting your partner has a strong club
♠J8532 holding and upwards of a strong no-trump.
♥A93 So lead your singleton club, and hope to get
♦ J 10 5 2 the suit going. If your partner had values and
♣7 short clubs, he would have doubled one club
initially.
1♣ Pass 1 NT
Pass Pass Dbl. All pass
The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, November 6th, 2012
“Custom, then, is the great guide of human life.”

— David Hume
Dealer: South North

North's first-round call was a negative (takeout) double, Vul: Both ♠742
suggesting the unbid suits. South responded with a cue- ♥K4
♦8542
bid in the enemy suit to show a strong hand and ♣KJ95
eventually came to rest in the 5-2 heart fit. West East
♠AKJ95 ♠ Q 10 3
♥Q982 ♥53
How would you play four hearts when West starts with
♦J97 ♦ Q 10 6 3
three rounds of spades? Let’s say you ruff the third spade, ♣7 ♣ 10 8 6 2
reducing yourself to four trumps, the same number as South
♠86
West. How should you play the trump suit now? ♥ A J 10 7 6
Remember not to make the rote play! ♦AK
♣AQ43
West is the danger hand, the defender who can force you
again in spades and thereby promote the setting trick in 1♥ 1♠ Dbl. Pass
trump if either defender started with four trumps. You 2♠ Pass 3♣ Pass
should therefore play the heart suit so that West cannot 4♣ Pass 4♥ All pass
gain the lead. You lead the trump jack from your hand and
Opening Lead: ♠K
run it into the safe (East) hand.
When the cards lie as in the diagram, the finesse will win. You play a second trump to
dummy’s king, return to your hand with a diamond, and draw a third round of trump.
West is left with a trump winner, and you hold one low trump, but that is no problem. You
simply play your minor-suit winners and West can take his master trump when he wishes.
You can see what will happen if you miss this avoidance play. West will gain the lead with
the trump queen and play yet another spade, setting up a second trump trick for the
defense.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: If facing a third-in-hand opener,
South Holds: you should take care when raising with three
♠742 small trump and minimum values. Here your
♥K4 cards appear to be working, so I would bid
♦8542 two spades, but with my heart king in the
♣KJ95 diamond suit, I might judge to pass. If you
have a defensive hand, your partner is
South West North East entitled to assume you have either at least
Pass Pass 1♠ 2♦ moderate trumps, or a nonminimum, when
? you raise.
The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, November 7th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on November 21st, 2012
“By viewing Nature, Nature's handmaid Art,

Makes mighty things from small beginnings grow.”
— John Dryden
Dealer: North North

Bridge strategies alter, depending on the form of scoring Vul: Neither ♠ Q
in use. Board-a-Match format makes overtricks vital — as ♥A52
♦ 10 5 4
witness this deal, which would be irrelevant at regular ♣A85432
Teams scoring. West East
♠52 ♠KJ9643
In one room Sue Picus and Alex Ornstein as East-West ♥J94 ♥ 10 7
♦J732 ♦KQ9
had held South’s three no-trump to nine tricks on a spade ♣ Q 10 9 6 ♣J7
lead. Declarer won the lead, cashed his club and heart South
♠ A 10 8 7
winners, then exited with ace and another diamond, but ♥KQ863
Picus unblocked a diamond honor under the ace to avoid ♦A86
♣K
being endplayed into giving declarer a spade trick.
In the other room four hearts looked as if it had 10 tricks Pass 2♠
— but Judi Radin did even better. She won the spade lead 3♥ Pass 4♥ All pass
and ruffed a spade at once before crossing to hand in
clubs and leading a third spade. Whether West ruffed did Opening Lead: ♠5
not matter. If he discarded, Radin would ruff low, unblock
hearts, then cash the club ace and use the diamond ace as the re-entry to draw trump.
West actually ruffed in with the heart nine, so Judi simply overruffed and drew trump.
Note that if Radin had cashed the club king at trick two, the entry position would have
been compromised. Declarer can ruff two spades as before, but has to use the diamond
ace as a re-entry to hand. Now when she leads the third club after ruffing two spades (not
ruffed by West) and unblocking the trump ace, East trumps in with the heart 10 and
promotes a heart trick for West.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Should you overcall one spade
South Holds: or two spades? This is partly a matter of the
♠KJ9643 scoring and vulnerability. Nonvulnerable, my
♥ 10 7 partners would expect a weaker hand for a
♦KQ9 jump overcall and we might undercompete,
♣J7 miss a game, or sacrifice unwisely. As
against that, we DO make the opponents' life
South West North East more unpleasant, so it is an issue that has
1♣ no clear answer. Vulnerable, I think this is a
? two-spade call.
The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, November 8th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on November 22nd, 2012
“The past cannot be cured.”

— Queen Elizabeth I
Dealer: South North

Against three no-trump West leads the spade queen. How Vul: East- ♠AK4
do you plan to make nine tricks? West ♥962
♦A9875
♣74
Outside the diamonds, you have five top tricks. So you West East
need a minimum of four diamond tricks to make your ♠ Q J 10 8 2 ♠76
♥J53 ♥ Q 10 7
contract. Suppose you win the spade lead with the ace
♦Q2 ♦ 10 6 4 3
and finesse the diamond jack. If the finesse loses, the ♣ Q 10 3 ♣KJ95
spade return will mean that you won’t make nine tricks South
♠953
unless the diamond 10 drops. This would be the case ♥AK84
even when the diamonds were 3-3, for the entry to the ♦KJ
♣A862
diamonds has been removed.
Accordingly, the best approach is to win the first spade 1 NT Pass 3 NT All pass
(for fear of a club shift) and play a diamond to the king.
Then continue by overtaking the diamond jack with Opening Lead: ♠Q
dummy’s ace, even if West has followed with a small card.
Here, since the diamond queen has put in an appearance, you can simply dislodge the
diamond 10 from East’s hand and make nine tricks: two spades, two hearts, four
diamonds and a club.
If the diamonds had been 3-3, the third round of diamonds would have established the
suit, with the spade king as the entry to cash them. Notice that you will succeed when
either defender began with a singleton or doubleton diamond queen or 10. As we have
seen, dummy’s 9-8-7 is then good enough to allow you to knock out the remaining
diamond honor, letting you collect four diamond tricks and the contract. This gives you a
better than two-thirds chance to make your game.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Simplest might be to bid three
South Holds: spades (or four spades if you believe you
♠953 have no slam interest). I have no great
♥AK84 objection to bidding three spades. It is, of
♦KJ course, forcing since you would have simply
♣A862 raised spades at once with invitational
values. But given your excellent side-suit
South West North East holdings, maybe you should rebid three no-
1♠ Pass trump directly and avoid risking a bad spade
2♣ Pass 2 NT Pass break in four spades?
?
The Aces on Bridge: Friday, November 9th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on November 23rd, 2012
“The stars have not dealt me the worst they could do:
My pleasures are plenty; my troubles are two.”
— A. E. Housman
Dealer: East North

Adam Zmudzinski and Cezary Balicki (commonly known Vul: Both ♠3
as B and Z) have been one of the strongest Polish pairs ♥AQJ8
♦K8
for many years. Cezary Balicki was a master chess player ♣ A K 10 6 3 2
before he turned to bridge and is acknowledged to be one West East
♠ K 10 9 7 5 ♠Q864
of the world's best declarers.
♥96 ♥ 10 7 4 2
♦AQ ♦ 10 7 6 5 3
Today’s deal sees Balicki time the play perfectly to make ♣QJ98 ♣—
his three no-trump, reached after North had shown real South
♠AJ2
extras by his second double. Start by covering up the ♥K53
East-West hands and have a try yourself. ♦J942
♣754
West led the spade 10 to the queen and ace. Declarer
then played a club to dummy’s ace and was not so happy Pass
to see East show out. Plan the play from here. Pass 1♠ Dbl. 3♠
Pass Pass Dbl. Pass
Realizing that if West had five spades and four clubs, he 3 NT All pass
was going to be short in the red suits, Balicki cashed the
Opening Lead: ♠10
heart ace and played a heart to his king before playing
another club. When West split his honors, Balicki ducked.
What could West do? His best shot is to play the diamond ace and queen, but declarer
simply won in dummy and conceded another club, losing just one spade, one diamond
and two clubs.
Had West cashed the spade king, South would have pitched a club from dummy. Now, on
a spade continuation he would have won in hand, pitching a diamond from North, and run
the clubs. On the defense of ace and another diamond, he would duck a club and convert
to the same winning position as above.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You may have a decent hand for
South Holds: the auction so far, but you should almost
♠AJ2 never compete to the three-level with only
♥K53 three trumps. These auctions are always
♦J942 about competing with shape, not high cards,
♣754 since if partner has a balanced hand, your
best shot to go plus is to defend. If partner
South West North East has shape, he can bid on for himself.
1♣ 1♥ Pass
2♥ Dbl. Pass 3♣
?
The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, November 10th, 2012
“Time has no flight — 'tis we who speed along;

The days and nights are but the same as when
The earth awoke with the first rush of song….”
— Thomas Collier
Dealer: West North

In today's deal South played too fast and suffered the Vul: East- ♠9842
consequences. He didn't see the danger to his contract of West ♥ A 10
♦9753
four hearts when the defenders led and continued spades. ♣K96
He ruffed, and drew three rounds of trump, expecting West East
♠ A K Q 10 6 ♠J73
them to break, or for East to have the long trump, in which
♥6543 ♥87
case he would be in no danger. ♦ 10 4 2 ♦A86
♣5 ♣ J 10 8 7 2
When West turned up with four hearts, South could do South
♠5
nothing else but try to build the tricks he needed by ♥KQJ92
knocking out the diamond ace. However, the damage had ♦KQJ
♣AQ43
already been done. East won the diamond ace and
returned a spade, leaving West with the 13th trump and South West North East
two master spades ready to cash. Pass Pass Pass
1♥ 1♠ Dbl. Pass
By contrast, compare the strategy of ducking the second 2♠ Pass 3♥ Pass
4♥ All pass
trick, pitching a small club. You will then ruff the third
spade, stripping East of that suit. Now you draw three Opening Lead: ♠K
rounds of trump to find the bad news, but can then simply
draw the last trump and knock out the diamond ace.
The difference between this position and the former one is that East no longer has a
spade to lead. So he must lead back a minor suit, and your hand is high.
While you would have gone down if West had five spades, the fourth trump and the
diamond ace, there was nothing you could have done in that position. Accordingly, you
might as well try to make your contract whenever it is possible.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your partner has shown six or
South Holds: more clubs and four hearts, with the values
♠9842 to invite game. You have the ideal hand for
♥ A 10 him, so jump to five clubs, expecting it to be
♦9753 at worst on a spade finesse. Yes, you have a
♣K96 minimum hand, but your cards are in the
perfect places for him.
1♦ 2♣ 2♦
3♣ 3♦ 3♥ Pass
?
ANSWER: Your plan for four tricks is to lead

low to the king and then back to the 10. You
Dear Mr. Wolff: should make this play whether or not the
If you play weak jump overcalls, what would king loses to the ace. However, when the
you be showing if you overcall and later bid nine pops up on the first round, you may
that suit again? For example, I held ♠ A-Q-9- need to form an opinion about the strength
8-3-2, ♥ J-4, ♦ K-3, ♣ Q-6-2. I overcalled one of your LHO. Against anyone less than a real
spade over one diamond, then, when my expert (or a dedicated signaler of
LHO doubled and my RHO bid two distribution), you might well play him for the
diamonds, I did not know if I was right to bid J-9 doubleton — and if he has false-carded
two spades. from a doubleton nine, congratulate him.
— Come Again, Winston-Salem, N.C.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
ANSWER: An overcall followed by a second I've taken to heart your advice about not
free bid suggests a decent six-card suit and overcalling at the two-level on bad suits. But
13-16, say. That is less than you would need say you have opening values with four
for a double and a new suit, but still shows a spades and five clubs, plus two cards in
good hand. Take your example hand; with each red suit. If the opponents open one
the spade jack instead of the two no one diamond or one heart, what can you do if
would criticize bidding two spades in the you don't bid two clubs?
auction under discussion. And if the — Rags to Riches, Doylestown. Pa.
opponents had found a fit, you would be
more inclined to bid again with your actual
hand.
ANSWER: If the opponents open one heart,
it would not be absurd to double, hoping that
if partner bids diamonds, he might have
Dear Mr. Wolff: enough of them to be able to tolerate your
My LHO opened five diamonds and my shortage. If they open one diamond, you are
partner bid six diamonds. He immediately probably best advised to pass and wait for
apologized and said "sorry, six clubs," but the opponents to bid and raise hearts so that
my opponent said the call could not be you can double. Otherwise you may be
changed. Please clarify the rules here. forced to pass throughout — not necessarily
a bad thing!
— Lapsus Linguae, Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
Dear Mr. Wolff:

ANSWER: The rule about changing bids is
that normally you would be permitted to do Yesterday my wife said she wanted to learn
so if it was done in the same breath. In most bridge. Do you have any suggestions on
friendly games you would be allowed to how to proceed other than very carefully and
change without penalty! Using bidding with patience?
boxes, by the way, you get to correct — In Big Trouble, Hoboken, N.J.
inadvertent errors of this sort until it is your
partner's turn to speak.
ANSWER: You are a brave man! My first
suggestion is to get her Sheinwold's "Five
Dear Mr. Wolff: Weeks to Winning Bridge" and then the
What is the right way to play Q-10-8-6-2 in Audrey Grant Series. Teaching your wife will
hand facing K-4-3? And should your strategy not be easy; the normal rules of politeness
change if you lead low to the king and ace between spouses seem to get suspended
with the nine appearing on your left? over bridge. But when the roles of teacher
and learner are firmly established, there is a
— Underpinnings, Torrance, Calif. slim chance that you will survive without
bloodshed.
“I'll think them every one an Antony,

And say ‘Aha! you’re caught.’”
Dealer: East North

How would you have dealt with the club situation in this Vul: Both ♠ 10 2
deal, which arose during the 2007 European Youth Teams ♥ A 10 9 2
♦ J 10 8 2
Championships, held in Jesolo, Italy? ♣K53
West East
Defending against four spades, West led the heart four. ♠QJ4 ♠6
South won with the bare king, cashed the spade ace and ♥J74 ♥Q8653
♦9765 ♦Q43
king, then got off play with a trump. Back on lead with the ♣AQ9 ♣J642
spade queen, West deviously returned the club queen, South
♠AK98753
which was ducked all around. West continued with the ♥K
club nine, and declarer, deciding that West’s initial club ♦AK
♣ 10 8 7
holding was Q-J-9, ducked again. East’s jack won, and
the club return to the ace defeated the contract. South West North East
Pass
Great play by West, but should declarer have fallen for it? 1♠ Pass 1 NT Pass
Probably not. Think back to the opening lead. If West had 4♠ All pass
held both the heart queen and jack, the queen would
Opening Lead: ♥4
surely have been the opening lead. The actual lead of the
four suggests that it is away from one honor, not two. So, if West had held such an
attractive sequence of club honors — the one South was playing him for — wouldn’t that
have been the more obvious choice of attack?
At another table, also against four spades, West led a low diamond. Declarer inserted the
jack — just in case — and East fell from grace and covered. South won, cashed his top
trumps, then cashed his other top diamond, overtook the heart king with dummy’s ace,
and discarded a club on the diamond 10. When later in the play declarer led a club to the
king, that brought in 11 tricks.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Don't be a hero. Yes, the club
South Holds: ace or a low club could be right; but equally
♠53 you may need to set up diamond tricks
♥632 before they are discarded on declarer's
♦ 10 8 2 clubs, and nothing in the auction tells you
♣ A 10 7 4 3 that you need to be desperate. So simply
lead a low diamond and try to find your
South West North East partner at home. When in doubt, avoid the
1♠ Pass 2♥ unilateral play; it helps to keep partner's
Pass 3♥ Pass 3♠
blood-pressure stable.
Pass 4♥ All pass
“O that I had ne'er been married,

I wad never had nae care….”
— Robert Burns
Dealer: West North

Debbie Rosenberg, who is married to top expert Michael, Vul: North- ♠J6
demonstrated here that the talent in that family is not South ♥AKJ
♦AJ54
limited to her husband. Debbie was also part of the U.S. ♣K952
squad that won the World Junior Teams in 1991 as well as West East
♠ A Q 10 8 4 ♠92
having numerous major successes in the women's game.
♥ 10 5 4 ♥98
Here she is at work in a delicate contract of three hearts. ♦KQ93 ♦762
♣3 ♣AQJ864
West led a club to East’s jack. It did not seem right to East South
♠K753
to give up on the club tenace by continuing the suit ♥Q7632
(although that does defeat the hand), so East quite ♦ 10 8
♣ 10 7
reasonably shifted to the spade nine. West took two
rounds of spades and played a third spade. Rosenberg South West North East
ruffed in dummy, and appeared to have five top losers. 1♠ Dbl. Pass
However, she realized that she had been given a chance, 2♥ Pass Pass 3♣
3♥ All pass
since the defense no longer had any communication in
the club suit. Opening Lead: ♣3
However, the winning path is by no means obvious. But, given that East appeared to have
all the remaining clubs, West was marked with the balance of high cards to make up his
opening bid. Therefore, Debby cashed the top hearts and led a low diamond to the 10 and
queen. West hopefully led a spade, but Rosenberg could win her spade king since East
was out of trump. She drew the last trump, finessed the diamond jack, and parked her
club loser on the diamond ace to make nine tricks for an excellent result.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: If you play that the two-diamond
South Holds: call is a waiting bid, you may feel that your
♠K753 previous cooperation with three spades was
♥Q7632 sufficient, and that you should not encourage
♦ 10 8 partner any further with any further show of
♣ 10 7 strength. I'd be inclined to bid five spades,
though, if my first call was a negative. My
South West North East doubletons and four trumps are just enough
2♣ Pass to persuade me to bid again.
2♦ Pass 2♠ Pass
3♠ Pass 4♣ Pass
?
“It's an odd job, making decent people laugh.”

— Moliere
Dealer: South North

Kit Woolsey reported that Fred Stewart found an amusing Vul: Both ♠8643
play in the following deal from the first final session of a ♥Q3
♦Q3
recent Life Master Open Pairs. ♣ A 10 8 7 3
West East
But before we get to Fred, look at that West hand and ♠AQJ5 ♠K
♥94 ♥ 10 2
plan the defense to four hearts.
♦AK52 ♦ J 10 9 8 7 6 4
♣652 ♣QJ9
It is highly unlikely that two rounds of diamonds will stand South
up. Since declarer’s clubs threaten to take care of his ♠ 10 9 7 2
♥AKJ8765
spade losers, it feels like you should take an active role in ♦—
the defense and go after our tricks quickly. ♣K4
If you think about it, surely the best way to beat four South West North East
1♥ Dbl. 1 NT* 2♦
hearts has to be to put partner on lead to play spades
4♥ Dbl. All pass
through declarer’s presumed king —isn’t it? So our
*Clubs
unnamed hero (or was it goat?) in the West seat led a low
diamond. Imaginative and unlucky, you may say, but only Opening Lead: Your choice!
if Stewart put up the diamond queen at the first trick —
and he did! That was his 10th trick for a great score.
Of course the purists would point out that with hearts and clubs splitting, there were
always 10 tricks except on the lead of the spade ace. Declarer could ruff out the clubs and
end up in dummy after drawing trump in two rounds. He could have fallen back on the
spades splitting if that line wasn’t going to work — but this was more fun, wasn’t it?
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: What an impossible problem!
South Holds: After your partner's bid of the fourth suit,
♠AQJ5 raising hearts would be acceptable with a
♥94 doubleton honor, but not really here, while
♦AK52 bidding two no-trump without a stopper is
♣652 inelegant. Some play that a two-spade call
here would show this hand — but you would
South West North East be in trouble if partner believed that it
1♦ Pass 1♥ Pass showed five spades and six diamonds!
1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass Maybe two no-trump is the least lie.
?
“Destiny waits alike for the free man as well as him enslaved by another's might.”
— Aeschylus
Dealer: South North

A brief but eventful auction ended with South in five Vul: Both ♠K72
hearts, against which West led the club king, ruffed in the ♥Q632
♦KQJ743
dummy. Now a trump to the ace revealed the 3-0 break. ♣—
West East
How would you continue to play the contract? ♠J5 ♠ A 10 8 6 4
♥— ♥ J 10 9
♦A85 ♦62
Suppose you ruff another club, cash dummy’s bare trump
♣AKQJ9743 ♣ 10 8 6
queen, and play a diamond. To make the contract on that South
line, you will eventually need to find West with the spade ♠Q93
♥AK8754
ace, so you can reach dummy with the spade king. ♦ 10 9
♣52
A far safer way to play the contract is to lead the diamond
10 at trick three. South West North East
2♥ Dbl. 4♦* Pass
Let’s say that West ducks the first round of diamonds and 4♥ 5♣ 5♥ All pass
wins the second. *Diamonds, with a fit for hearts
Opening Lead: ♣K
If the defenders play spades now, you will be able to draw
trump, ending in the dummy, and enjoy the diamond suit.
West will probably force the dummy with a second round of clubs instead. You ruff with
dummy’s penultimate trump, leaving the dummy with the bare queen and East still holding
jack-10 of trump.
To neutralize East’s trump, you then lead winning diamonds from dummy. Whenever East
ruffs in, you will overruff with the king and return to dummy with the trump queen, drawing
East’s last trump. You can then play the remaining diamonds, throwing all of your spade
losers, to claim an overtrick.
East could have taken his spade ace at the time West decided to force the dummy, but the
contract would still have been impregnable.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Even though you seem to be
South Holds: right at the minimum end of your range for a
♠ A 10 8 6 4 response, you absolutely cannot afford to
♥ J 10 9 pass here. With the boss suit, you must
♦62 introduce it into the auction right now, or else
♣ 10 8 6 you may never find your side's best fit.

1♦ 1♥
?
“When … all the world had swords and clubs of stone,

We drank our tea in China beneath the sacred spice-trees,
And heard the curled waves of the harbor moan.”
— Vachel Lindsay
Dealer: East North

Today's deal sees an interesting and quite difficult Vul: East- ♠K97
variation of a safety play; give it a few seconds' thought West ♥K653
♦5
before starting the play! ♣KQ642
West East
In the contract of six hearts the opening diamond lead ♠82 ♠ Q J 10 4
♥94 ♥2
goes to the jack and ace. Declarer follows up with the
♦ 10 8 7 2 ♦KQJ943
heart ace and queen, drawing all the trump. At this point ♣ J 10 9 5 3 ♣A8
declarer has 11 tricks (two spades, six hearts, the South
♠A653
diamond ace, a diamond ruff, and a sure club trick). East ♥ A Q J 10 8 7
is marked with the club ace, and the best hope for a ♦A6
♣7
second club trick is to find the clubs 4-3.
However, an extra chance comes by ducking the first club 1♦
altogether in case West has five or six clubs. Suppose Dbl. Pass 2♦ Pass
East wins cheaply and plays the spade queen. Win the 2♥ Pass 4♦ Pass
4 NT Pass 5♦ Pass
spade king and ruff a club low. When the ace falls,
6♥ All pass
declarer has 12 tricks. But suppose, instead, that East
had three or four clubs headed by the ace. Opening Lead: ♦2
After the second club is ruffed, the diamond six is ruffed in dummy. Now the club king is
played from North. East’s ace is ruffed out, and the heart king is the entry to the two club
winners in dummy.
In other words, by ducking the first club and ruffing the second club before playing out the
top honors, you make the contract whenever East has the club ace and fewer than five
clubs, instead of relying on the clubs to break.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your hand may not be quite
South Holds: worth an overcall, but the advantage of
♠K97 bidding two clubs is that you get partner off
♥K653 to the right lead against either a heart or no-
♦5 trump overcall. When you are in doubt, one
♣KQ642 thing to take into account with an overcall is
whether you really want that suit led, and
South West North East DON'T want any other suit led.
Pass 1♥ Pass 1♠
?
by Bobby Wolff on December 1st, 2012
“Be careful what you wish for; you may receive it.”
— W.W. Jacobs
Dealer: South North

Bidding is all about exchanging information with partner, Vul: Both ♠AKJ6
but in bridge all this information is also available to the ♥K8642
♦Q652
opponents. So, a good bidder is selective, telling partner ♣—
what he needs to know, but keeping quiet when the West East
♠ 10 7 ♠532
information is more likely to be of use to the opponents.
♥53 ♥ A 10 9 7
♦ 10 9 4 ♦KJ83
East’s double here was really foolish. If his partner ♣ K 10 8 5 4 2 ♣A6
couldn’t lead the fourth suit without the double, then it South
♠Q984
would probably not be right anyway. Look at what actually ♥QJ
happened. ♦A7
♣QJ973
West’s natural choice of lead, with such a good holding in
declarer’s first suit, might well have been a trump, but 1♣ Pass 1♥ Pass
East’s double deflected him and instead he chose the 1♠ Pass 2♦ Dbl.
diamond 10, which ran to declarer’s ace. Declarer played Pass Pass 4♠ All pass
the heart queen, won by East, who switched to a trump
Opening Lead: ♦10
rather than cash the diamond king and set up dummy’s
queen. Declarer won the trump shift in dummy, played a heart to his jack, a spade to
dummy, cashed the heart king while discarding a diamond, ruffed a heart, and ruffed a
club.
Declarer now played the winning heart from dummy. East had to ruff this, and declarer
discarded a club. East now played the club ace, and declarer found a very nice maneuver
when he discarded a diamond from dummy rather than ruff and endplay himself. East now
had no option but to play a diamond, which declarer ran to dummy’s queen. That let him
crossruff the last two tricks.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Be careful! You would like to
South Holds: cuebid to set up a game-force here, but
♠Q984 many people would play a bid of two hearts
♥QJ as natural. A cuebid of two diamonds is
♦A7 unambiguously forcing and should get
♣QJ973 partner to bid a four-card spade suit if he
has one. If he doesn't, you can head for
South West North East three no-trump.
1♦ Dbl. 1♥
?
by Bobby Wolff on December 2nd, 2012
ANSWER: There is a good case for saying

that the only person who has shown clubs
Dear Mr. Wolff: here is your RHO, not partner. If so, and
What is the minimum strength required for a many feel that way, then it does make sense
Michaels cuebid? For instance is there any to use what some call Mitchell Stayman,
vulnerability at which you would bid two where a bid of two clubs by you would now
diamonds over one diamond to show the show the majors. Partner is allowed to
majors with ♠ Q-9-8-3-2, ♥ J-10-9-7-4, ♦ Q-9, exercise discretion and pass with long clubs
♣ A? If you wouldn't cuebid, would you and fewer than three cards in each major, or
overcall or pass? to ask you to bid your better major by
bidding two diamonds. Incidentally, you are a
— Lightly Does It, Columbia, S.C. queen short of a penalty double here.
ANSWER: I would show the majors with a Dear Mr. Wolff:

call of two diamonds if nonvulnerable, but
make a one-spade overcall and hope to get I have read about using artificial
hearts in later if vulnerable. I would never continuations over a two-club opening and a
pass here. Note: to cuebid over one spade two-diamond response. Can you let me
to show hearts and a minor does require a know if there is anything simple you would
somewhat better hand than this, even if recommend here?
nonvulnerable, since partner has to act at — Powerball, Durango, Colo.
the three-level.
ANSWER: Eric Kokish's excellent

Dear Mr. Wolff: suggestion is to retain opener's direct two-
My partner and I were defending against a no-trump bid as 22-24. All higher bids are
doubled slam and had already taken two natural in the minors, but show long
tricks when we discovered that my partner diamonds and four spades in the majors. He
had two cards left while I had four. Our suggests using the two-heart rebid by
opponents claimed a misdeal, but I said that opener as a puppet to two spades. Now
even if we took no more tricks, we should opener's two-no-trump call is forcing, and
still get our 200. What do the laws say? delayed bids at the three-level by opener
show hearts and a second suit.
— Out for Blood, Spokane, Wash.
Dear Mr. Wolff:

ANSWER: Whenever players receive the
wrong number of cards, the deal must be What was the right call for fourth hand,
canceled, so you don't get your penalty. holding ♠ A-Q-2, ♥ J-7, ♦ K-Q-7-4-3-2, ♣ Q-4
Sorry! One way to look at it is that the play when my partner opened one diamond and
might have been completely different with no the next hand bid two hearts? I felt I needed
misdeal. Another is just to say that from the to invent a club suit because I thought I
outset the deal was invalid. needed a heart control to bid three hearts. Is
this so?
— Spaced Out, Tupelo, Miss.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
What is the best approach to use when
partner opens one club and the next hand ANSWER: When the opponents interfere, a
overcalls one no-trump? Should one use cuebid below three no-trump asks for a
natural or artificial bids? Specifically, how stopper rather than promising one. Here, you
would you cope with ♠ J-10-7-2, ♥ A-Q-9-5-3, are perfectly placed to raise diamonds if
♦ 7-3, ♣ 9-4? Would it be too aggressive to partner cannot bid no-trump himself. And
double here? since the cuebid almost always delivers
support for partner and a good hand, he can
— Sunny Side Up, Anchorage, Alaska aim high if he has extra values.
by Bobby Wolff on December 3rd, 2012
“It is easier to resist at the beginning than at the end.”

— Leonardo da Vinci
Dealer: South North

Today's problem is all about defensive bidding and the Vul: North- ♠A984
opening lead. Here, I'd advocate that West jump to three South ♥874
♦K843
hearts at his second turn — a pre-emptive rather than a ♣73
limit raise, since with a strong hand you can cuebid West East
♠Q765 ♠3
instead of jumping.
♥K963 ♥ A Q J 10 2
♦J2 ♦AQ76
When the opponents ignore you and bid to four spades, ♣J94 ♣ 10 8 2
what should you lead? South
♠ K J 10 2
♥5
Many regard the opening lead as the most difficult part of ♦ 10 9 5
the game (because you have so little information with ♣AKQ65
which to work). There seems to be no reason to lead
anything other than the partnership suit, but if you lead a 1♣ Pass 1♦ 1♥
low heart and either declarer or dummy has a singleton, 1♠ 3♥ 3♠ Pass
you may never get the lead again — and that might be 4♠ All pass
crucial for the defense.
Opening Lead: To be advised!
Quite frequently, when you are the weaker defensive
hand, it can work well to lead an unsupported honor in your partnership’s bid and
supported suit, thus giving you flexibility on your play to trick two.
If you do lead the heart king, partner should play the queen under it, a clear suit-
preference signal for a diamond. Now three rounds of diamonds guarantees the defeat of
the contract. Note that if you started with a low heart, all declarer needs to do is guess
trump to make his game.
This tactic is NOT a good idea when declarer is playing in no-trump. All too often leading
an unsupported honor allows declarer to capture a high card that would otherwise have
been pulling its weight on defense.
This deal comes from Sally Brock’s “Leading Questions in Bridge.”
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: The options are to go passive
South Holds: with a low trump (a bad idea if dummy has
♠J92 no trumps or no entries, and partner has the
♥J52 trump king or ace), or to lead the diamond
♦Q6 queen. Both a club and a spade seem to
♣ K 10 8 6 2 have a big downside and no real upside, so
I'd pick a trump, my reason being that I have
South West North East enough high cards to hope to set the hand
1♦ 4♥ on passive defense.
All pass
by Bobby Wolff on December 4th, 2012
“Yet they, believe me, who await

No gift from Chance, have conquered Fate.”
— Matthew Arnold
Dealer: South North

When this deal occurred in a team game, at the first of the Vul: East- ♠KQJ5
two tables West made his natural lead of the club king West ♥A86
♦852
against three no trump. Declarer allowed this to hold the ♣ 10 5 4
trick, as he did the club queen continuation. West East
♠ 10 7 ♠8643
South won the third club perforce, and counting eight ♥Q93 ♥ 10 7 4
♦K43 ♦ J 10 9 7
tricks, chose to combine his chances in the red suits to ♣KQJ93 ♣87
seek the ninth. He cashed the heart king, then the ace, South
♠A92
but no queen appeared. His last chance was the diamond ♥KJ52
finesse, but when that also failed, so did the contract. ♦AQ6
♣A62
At the second table, and against the same lead, South
won the second club and was pleased to see that East 1♣ Pass 1♠ Pass
followed. Declarer then led three rounds of spades, and 2 NT Pass 3 NT All pass
this time was happy to see West discarding on the third
round. He was about to cash dummy’s last spade when Opening Lead: ♣K
he paused to do a little arithmetic.
He intended to throw West in with a club, thereby effecting an endplay in the red suits. But
for this he needed two discards for the clubs, so he had to retain the heart K-J-5 and the
diamond A-Q in hand. Therefore he could not cash the fourth spade until West had taken
his club tricks.
So declarer left the spade winner in dummy and played a club at once. West took his
tricks as South pitched one card from each red suit, but then had to concede the balance.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Although I've expressed my
South Holds: distaste for overcalling in a five-card suit at
♠ 10 7 the two-level, there are exceptions. A very
♥Q93 chunky suit in an overcall that takes up the
♦K43 maximum space is perfectly forgivable. Here
♣KQJ93 you make both major suits more difficult for
West to bid, and making the opponents' life
South West North East hard is always laudable. Vulnerable, I'd think
Pass 1♦ twice, though, if facing a passing partner.
?
The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, November 21st, 2012
“He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves, and sharpens our skill. Our antagonist is
our helper.”
— Edmund Burke
Dealer: North North

Compare what happened in this deal from the first round Vul: Neither ♠ 10 9
of last year's Vanderbilt tournament, when a top-seeded ♥Q72
♦ Q 10 2
team met a less highly ranked squad. ♣QJ983
West East
At the first table, where the expert was declarer, the heart ♠AJ86 ♠Q732
jack lead went to declarer’s king. East held up the club ♥ J 10 8 4 ♥963
♦8753 ♦96
ace twice, West discarding a small diamond. Now, instead ♣5 ♣A764
of playing a third club and giving East the chance to shift South
♠K54
to spades, declarer cashed his red-suit winners and took ♥AK5
his nine tricks. ♦AKJ4
♣ K 10 2
In the other room South also opened two no-trump and
was raised to three no-trump. West led the heart jack to Pass Pass
declarer’s ace, and declarer then played the club king, 2 NT Pass 3 NT All pass
West playing the five. How did the expert East defend?
Opening Lead: ♥J
East could see that he would never beat this contract
unless his partner had good spades. Since one of the red queens in dummy was sure to
be an entry to the clubs, the holdup in clubs was never going to be that effective.
Accordingly, East decided to break the rules and win the first club (in case it was
declarer’s ninth trick, as could easily have been the case if declarer had five diamonds).
Now he switched to spades, and — more importantly — he covered the possibility that his
partner had the ace and jack of spades by shifting to the spade queen.
Declarer was helpless now; whatever he did, the defenders had four spade winners.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You have a decent diamond stop
South Holds: and enough bits and pieces to make the no-
♠ 10 9 trump game the most attractive option, so
♥Q72 bid three no-trump. Note that this is a
♦ Q 10 2 suggestion to play no-trump, not a
♣QJ983 command. Your partner can bid on with
significant extra shape, or really short
South West North East diamonds.
2♦ Dbl. Pass
3♣ Pass 3♠ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, November 22nd, 2012
“Men are not hanged for stealing horses, but that horses may not be stolen.”
— George Savile
Dealer: South North

John Armstrong, aged 56, died of a brain hemorrhage just Vul: Neither ♠ J 10 9 2
days after returning from representing England in the ♥ A Q 10 8 3
♦92
2008 European Championships. With his partner John ♣53
Holland, John finished in second place in the Butler West East
♠Q875 ♠K6
rankings (for average IMPs won) — quite an achievement
♥64 ♥K972
for a pair from a team that finished in 12th place. ♦J875 ♦Q64
♣J42 ♣ 10 9 8 7
Armstrong was on the team that won the Silver Medal in South
♠A43
the 1987 Bermuda Bowl World Championships — Britain’s ♥J5
best performance since taking Gold in 1955. And he was ♦ A K 10 3
♣AKQ6
also on the teams that produced Britain’s most recent best
Open results in European Championships — runner-up in South West North East
1987 and winner in 1991. (The British Open Team’s 2 NT Pass 3♣ Pass
previous win was back in 1963.) Today’s hand is from that 3♦ Pass 3♠* Pass
3 NT All pass
1991 victory.
*Four spades and five hearts
Armstrong, the declarer in three no-trump, could see eight
Opening Lead: ♣2
tricks — he must come to at least two in hearts — but
where to go for the ninth? Britain was on Vugraph at the time and the commentators made
an assortment of erudite suggestions. But John’s solution was simple: he won the club
lead and continued with ace and another spade. East won with the king and returned a
club. John now ran the heart jack, which East could not afford to win. When the heart jack
held, declarer played a third spade. West took the queen, but with the heart ace still in
dummy, John could not be denied access to his established spade jack. Contract made.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Partner's action does not
South Holds: guarantee a great hand. With short hearts
♠K6 he is obliged to balance, even though he is
♥K972 not technically in balancing seat. To double
♦Q64 for penalties, you would need the heart jack
♣ 10 9 8 7 instead of the two, and you might still not
beat it! Pass, and rely on your partner to bid
South West North East again with a real hand.
1♥
Pass 2♥ 2♠ 3♥
?
The Aces on Bridge: Friday, November 23rd, 2012
“No kings are coming on their hands and knees,

Nor yet on horses or in chariots,
To carry me away from you again….”
Dealer: South North

Today's deal comes from an international report. Against Vul: Neither ♠ 4 2
three spades Geir Brekka began with his singleton club ♥QJ6
♦KQJ64
jack, ducked all around. ♣Q73
West East
Now West was uncomfortably positioned. A spade ♠ K 10 5 ♠73
♥ A 10 9 8 3 ♥752
continuation would allow declarer to fulfill his contract,
♦A732 ♦ 10 8 5
since inevitably a few tricks later West would find himself ♣J ♣ A K 10 6 5
endplayed, obliged to play a heart or diamond, allowing South
♠AQJ986
declarer access to dummy to pitch his club losers. ♥K4
♦9
A diamond continuation was also unattractive. So West ♣9842
decided to switch to a small heart. Dummy played low,
East played his heart two, showing an odd number of 1♠ Pass 2♦ Pass
cards, and declarer won the trick with his king and led his 2♠ Pass 2 NT Pass
singleton diamond. 3♠ All pass
By now Brekka already knew declarer’s shape: six Opening Lead: ♣J

spades, two hearts, one diamond and four clubs. So he
took his diamond ace, played his heart ace, and carefully continued with his spade 10
(NOT the five). Declarer won the trick with his jack and cashed the spade ace.
Brekka had realized that if he now followed with his small spade, at the next trick he was
going to be endplayed by declarer with his spade king. He would then have to play a heart
or a diamond, providing a much needed entry to dummy, letting declarer pitch all his club
losers. Brekka therefore dropped his trump king under the ace, trading one trick for three
and defeating the contract.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Is this auction forcing? I don't see
South Holds: why, since both opponents are bidding and
♠42 partner could have jumped or cuebid with a
♥QJ6 really good hand. If I had to guess, I'd say
♦KQJ64 game couldn't be better than a one-in-three
♣Q73 shot. Since hearts feels like our side's best
fit, I would pass, and apologize if I misjudged
South West North East the position.
1♣ 1♠ 2♣
2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass
?
“Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof.”

— Ecclesiastes 8
Dealer: West North

At a recent Nationals, this deal was the last of a four- Vul: North- ♠AKQJ5
board extra-time segment. It determined the match, and South ♥J754
♦K542
yes, while four spades might have been easier, let's ♣—
assume that East would have sacrificed in five clubs had West East
♠ 10 4 3 ♠8
he been offered the chance. Plan the play in five
♥Q9 ♥K8632
diamonds after a top club lead. ♦— ♦QJ98
♣ A K 10 9 8 5 3 2 ♣Q64
Declarer ruffed the club lead and could see that there was South
♠9762
no realistic danger to cope with except 4-0 trumps. He led ♥ A 10
the diamond king from dummy at trick two and was more ♦ A 10 7 6 3
♣J7
hurt than surprised by the trump break. What would you
expect to happen next? South West North East
4♣ Dbl Pass
He led a second diamond and ducked East’s jack. When 5♦ All pass
the defense found the most challenging continuation of a
second club, South found the only route home by Opening Lead: ♣K
following with his remaining club and pitching a heart from
dummy!
Now, when a third club was led, he could ruff in hand, then cross to dummy, and draw
trumps with the aid of the diamond finesse. He scored a club ruff, four trumps and six
major-suit winners. This is the first time I’ve seen that particular maneuver exercised with
such expert trump control. Normally, one takes the ruff in the short trump hand, not the
long one.
Notice that if declarer ruffs the second club, he can no longer draw trumps. Since he
cannot cross back to hand in spades, the defenders will score both a heart trick and a
second trump trick for down one.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Bid your hearts before your
South Holds: diamonds for two reasons. The first is that
♠AKQJ5 10 tricks are easier to make than 11; the
♥J754 second is that it is easier to get diamonds
♦K542 into the auction economically at your next
♣— turn. You may not be able to describe your
hand precisely, but you can get the thrust of
South West North East your shape across by bidding three
1♠ Pass 1 NT Pass diamonds if your partner rebids two no-
? trump.
ANSWER: If vulnerable I would not respond

in either case, thinking that the chances of
Dear Mr. Wolff: our losing 200 in a poor cause was not worth
What is the right way to respond to a pre- the chance of improving the contract. I would
emptive opening of two diamonds with a be inclined to bid facing a first-in-hand
good hand and a major — for example, ♠ A- opening if nonvulnerable, for tactical
10-4, ♥ K-Q-J-7-4, ♦ J-9, ♣ K-J-2? Should I reasons. The opponents are far less likely to
relay with two no-trump, or should I bid two make game if partner has opened in second,
hearts? And is the latter call forcing, third or fourth seat, though. So passing
invitational or weak? makes sense then. Just for the record; give
me the spade jack instead of the two and I
— Pick and Roll, Troy, N.Y. will bid one spade in all cases.
ANSWER: Here, a two-heart call is natural Dear Mr. Wolff:

and forcing, but not to game, and is the right
way to advance. That is all your hand is How should I ask for kings after using
worth; if you are facing a hand such as six Blackwood? I have two friends, each of
diamonds to the ace-king, you will be whom swears that his approach is best, but
struggling to make three no-trump. And you they disagree on the responses!
could be facing less. — Royal Pain, Bristol, Va.
Dear Mr. Wolff: ANSWER: I believe it is better to use the

Is there any correlation between skill at five-no-trump call to ask for specific kings,
bridge and talent in any other game, pastime not the number of kings. Responder should
or profession? I believe that bridge and bid kings up the line, but should always bear
chess do go together — but not in an in mind that (since five no-trump guarantees
especially strong way. partnership possession of all the key cards
and the trump queen) he can jump to a
— Missing Link, Union City, Tenn. grand slam whenever he has a source of
tricks or extras.
ANSWER: I think most excellent bridge
players are good gamblers, who can quickly Dear Mr. Wolff:
calculate odds in their heads. For many
years there was a very strong link between Recently I was defending a hand where
Options Trading and bridge in New York City. declarer led out of turn from dummy. I
I think good bridge players tend to be good wanted to make him lead that suit from
at most mental games. There are also many hand, which I was sure was the rule, but the
excellent bridge-players who are talented director overruled me. Please clarify the law.
pianists (but far fewer play any other — Get the Lead Out, Naples, Fla.
instrument well).
ANSWER: Your interpretation was correct till

Dear Mr. Wolff: a law change a few years ago. Now you can
In responding to an opening bid,: exactly accept the lead from the wrong hand (if you
where should I draw the line on weak hands are quick about it), or declarer can lead any
without a fit? For example, if I held ♠ Q-9-8- suit he likes from the correct hand.
3-2, ♥ 4, ♦ Q-9-7-3, ♣ 6-4-2 should I respond
one spade to an opening bid of one heart?
What about in response to one club? My
instincts tell me that the answer might vary
depending on vulnerability and scoring. Is
that right?
— Jumping In, Atlanta, Ga.
“Give all thou canst; high Heaven rejects the lore

Of nicely calculated less or more.”
Dealer: East North

Many people find percentages at bridge dull. They may Vul: Both ♠Q9
have a point, but today we are going to look a little closer ♥ K 10 2
♦A632
at the old adage "Eight ever, nine never." ♣KJ42
West East
When you are missing four cards in a suit, you should ♠K872 ♠ 10 4
normally play for the drop of the queen, but when missing ♥74 ♥QJ8653
♦ Q 10 7 4 ♦KJ98
five cards in a suit, you normally finesse for a key card ♣Q53 ♣6
rather than play for the drop. South
♠AJ653
♥A9
However, note that use of the word “normally.” It is ♦5
particularly true that when you are missing four cards, the ♣ A 10 9 8 7
slightest indication that one opponent has greater length
in that suit than his partner — as few as a two-card 2♥
differential — should sway you to play the defender who is 4♣* Pass 6♣ All pass
short in that suit for the queen. *Spades and clubs, game-forcing
Let’s look at the first of this week’s deals from the Seattle Opening Lead: ♥7
Nationals last year. West’s jump to four clubs showed that
suit and spades (so-called Leaping Michaels).
I suppose I’m getting old, but East and especially South seem to be well short of their
bids. On lead against six clubs, West was hoping he had two tricks and that his partner
might come through with a little something, given his vulnerable weak two-bid … not
tonight, Josephine!
On a heart lead, declarer won and cashed the club ace, but then should he finesse or
drop? This one is easy. Since East has six hearts and West two, West has much more
room in his hand for the trump queen than East, so the finesse is a heavy favorite to win.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Although your cards clearly lie
South Holds: extremely well on defense, that is not quite
♠Q83 enough reason to go passive automatically.
♥AJ4 Your choice is between the black suits, and I
♦A63 would opt for a spade rather than a club.
♣ 10 7 4 3 This is primarily because you don't rate to
sacrifice a third-round spade trick by
South West North East attacking the suit. Declarer figures to be able
Pass 1♦ Pass 1♥ to ruff spade losers in dummy.
Pass 2♣ Pass 3♥
Pass 4♥ All pass
“We've trod the maze of error round,

Long wandering in the winding glade;
And now the torch of truth is found,
It only shows us where we strayed.”
— George Crabbe
Dealer: South North

In today's deal from the Seattle Nationals last year, South Vul: East- ♠ A 10 7 4
reached three no-trump after his vulnerable opponents West ♥63
♦K65
had done a lot of bidding. So it was fair to assume suits ♣ A K 10 4
wouldn't split. West East
♠63 ♠Q9852
♥ Q J 10 8 4 ♥A75
The heart queen held the trick on opening lead. A second
♦QJ92 ♦8
heart to the ace was followed by a third heart, on which ♣63 ♣QJ92
declarer had to discard from dummy. Name your poison! South
♠KJ
♥K92
South erred in practice — and maybe in theory as well — ♦ A 10 7 4 3
by pitching a spade. He then crossed to the club king to ♣875
play a diamond to his ace (hoping East had a doubleton
queen or jack, in which case the suit might be set up 1♦ 1♥ Dbl. 2♦
without letting West on lead) as his best chance to bring in Pass 2♥ Dbl. Pass
the diamonds. 2 NT Pass 3 NT All pass
The 4-1 break in diamonds — disappointing but hardly Opening Lead: ♥Q

surprising — brought South up short. East discarded a
spade, and the best declarer could do was finesse in spades against East and hope for
the clubs to break. Hardly surprising that that chance failed, but declarer had already
given up his best play for the ninth trick.
Had he pitched a club from dummy at trick three, play would have continued precisely as
before. But after a spade to the jack holds, declarer cashes his spade king and plays three
rounds of clubs. Because the spade A-10 remains in dummy, declarer would have been
able to endplay East in clubs to lead a spade into dummy’s A-10 at the end for his ninth
trick.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: The choices are to jump to five
South Holds: diamonds (don't even think of just bidding
♠KJ four diamonds) or to bid three no-trump. The
♥K92 upside of bidding five diamonds is that it
♦ A 10 7 4 3 might get you to slam — you'd be delighted
♣875 if partner raised you. The downside is that
nine tricks at no-trump may be easier to
South West North East attain. Put me down as an unconvinced
3♠ Dbl. Pass three-no-trump bidder; partner often doesn't
? have the perfect hand.
“I stayed in a really old hotel last night. They sent me a wake-up letter. ”
— Steve Wright
Dealer: East North

The general rule about signaling is that you encourage to Vul: Both ♠Q
get a suit continued, and discourage to get the obvious ♥KQ5
♦ 10 9 8 4 2
shift. Occasionally, though, an unusual card should wake ♣ A J 10 7
partner up to making a counterintuitive play. West East
♠K ♠A764
♥ 10 7 4 2 ♥AJ983
In today’s deal from the Seattle Board-a-Match, Sid
♦QJ765 ♦A
Brownstein, South, bravely balanced into his opponents’ ♣Q32 ♣865
suit, and his partner took him seriously. Against three South
♠ J 10 9 8 5 3 2
spades doubled, the low heart lead went to the king and ♥6
East’s ace, and East cashed the diamond ace, West ♦K3
♣K94
signaling with a middle diamond. East now played back
the heart jack, on which Brownstein carefully discarded South West North East
his diamond king, eliminating the threat of the diamond 2♦*
ruff. When declarer subsequently located the club queen, Pass 2♥ Pass Pass
2♠ 3♥ 3♠ Pass
he was able to wrap up 730. Pass Dbl. All pass
In my opinion, both defenders were responsible for the *Five hearts, four spades, 11-15
points
poor result. East really should have shifted to a low spade
at trick three — what high card other than the spade king Opening Lead: ♥2
could his partner hold that would set the contract and
without that card how could West have doubled three spades? Equally, West might well
have dropped the diamond jack on his partner’s play of the ace. This would have been an
“oddball” signal to wake up partner to the need to play the unusual suit to get his ruff — in
this case, a trump!
Here, by contrast, the diamond queen would simply show the queen and jack and suggest
to East that he could continue the suit if he wanted to, or was able to.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your partner's cuebid is
South Holds: Michaels, showing 5-5 or more in hearts and
♠Q a minor. If you were asked to guess, you
♥KQ5 would assume that your easiest game would
♦ 10 9 8 4 2 be four hearts, so bid it. But if the opponents
♣ A J 10 7 bid on to four spades, you should not sell
out. Instead, compete with four no-trump to
South West North East find partner's minor.
1♠ 2♠ 3♠
?
“Observation is a passive science, experimentation an active science.”

— Claude Bernard
Dealer: East North

One aspect of the game that defeats beginners and Vul: Both ♠ Q 10 7 6
intermediate players is the concept that every card means ♥ K J 10 5
♦J865
something. Take this deal from the second semifinal ♣J
session of the Kaplan Blue Ribbon Pairs from Seattle last West East
♠93 ♠J842
year, and focus just on East's cards and the North's hand
♥AQ62 ♥74
(dummy). ♦K4 ♦ 10 9 2
♣ A 10 5 4 3 ♣KQ82
North-South were playing Precision, which resulted in an South
♠AK5
inelegant sequence to one no-trump rather than two ♥983
diamonds. But it was up to East-West to punish them. ♦AQ73
♣976
Using fourth-highest leads, West started with the club
four: jack, queen, six. The club two went to the nine and Pass
10, and the club three was returned to East’s king. When 1♦ Pass 1♥ Pass
West let the club eight hold the trick, East had to decide 1 NT All pass
how to continue. Dummy had pitched a heart and two
Opening Lead: ♣4
diamonds on the clubs; declarer had thrown a heart.
Should East play a spade, in case declarer started with the doubleton spade ace and five
solid diamonds? Or should he play a diamond, in case declarer had the spade king and
not the diamond king?
The answer came from West’s decision to win the second club trick with the 10, not the
ace. (He knows East has the club king from the play to the first two tricks, so he has a
choice of plays from equals.) When he then returns the club three, not the ace or five, he
has played his lowest card at each turn, signaling for a diamond through.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You might feel that you should
South Holds: breathe a sigh of relief and pass. But you
♠ Q 10 7 6 have enough values to compete. You might
♥ K J 10 5 easily have a 4-4 major fit or a relatively safe
♦J865 haven in a 6-1 club fit. Double for takeout
♣J and hope that partner has a convenient
rebid. A bare club honor is almost as good
South West North East as a small doubleton in terms of trump
1♦ 2♣ 2♦ support.
?
“It is no use trying to be clever — we are all clever here; just try to be kind — a little kind.”
— Dr. F. J. Foakes Jackson
Dealer: West North

Some suit combinations are instinctive, but what your Vul: Both ♠KJ86
instinct tells you to do is not always right. With a trump ♥Q6
♦ K 10 8
suit of A-10-7-3 facing K-J-8-6, you can cash the king and ♣ 10 8 7 3
run the jack, OR cash the ace and run the 10 to guard West East
♠Q952 ♠4
against 4-1 trumps in whichever hand you choose. But
♥ A 10 9 7 ♥J843
let's look at the full deal from last fall's nationals in Seattle ♦942 ♦Q753
to see how to apply the rules. ♣AJ ♣KQ64
South
♠ A 10 7 3
North-South competed to the three-level with only eight ♥K52
trumps (a violation of the Law of Total Tricks) when both ♦AJ6
♣952
players perhaps did a little too much. North’s decision to
compete to two spades with only four trumps when facing South West North East
a likely three-card holding was perhaps out of line. (North- Pass Pass Pass
South would have managed to collect 200 from three 1♣ Dbl. 1♥* Dbl.
1♠ 2♥ 2♠ 3♥
hearts doubled, though it is not so easy to defend with 3♠ All pass
West declarer).
*Spades
In three spades on a diamond lead, declarer had Opening Lead: ♦2
successfully crossed the first hurdle. Trumps were clearly
4-1, given East’s decision to compete so high facing a passed partner, so South ran the
spade 10, covered all around, then ducked a club, won by West’s jack.
A passive diamond exit let declarer cash two more rounds of diamonds, then play a
second club. Whatever West did, South could play to ruff a club with the spade ace and
run the spade seven, finessing against the nine for nine tricks.
Incidentally, best defense would have held declarer to eight tricks in three spades if he
had started trumps by leading the ace.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You could simply blast out three
South Holds: no-trump here, but there is a risk that you
♠ A 10 7 3 are off the whole club suit, or that your
♥K52 partner has a positional club stop and that
♦AJ6 game might be better played his way up.
♣952 Temporize with two hearts, knowing that
partner shouldn't raise to four hearts, since a
South West North East simple raise would be forcing.
1♦ Pass
1♠ Pass 2♦ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, December 1st, 2012
“The errors of a wise man make your rule,

Rather than the perfections of a fool.”
— William Blake
Dealer: West North

When this deal occurred in a local pairs game, most pairs Vul: North- ♠9
landed in three no-trump. As North would occasionally South ♥K64
♦AQ75
raise a major-suit response to an opening one-bid with ♣ A J 10 9 2
three trumps, South's three-no-trump call simply offered a West East
♠ A 10 8 6 3 ♠Q75
choice of games. How would you play the game when
♥ Q 10 9 ♥J73
West leads the spade six and East plays the queen? ♦93 ♦ J 10 6 4 2
♣764 ♣K8
Most defenders took East’s queen with the king and ran South
♠KJ42
the club queen. East took this with the king and returned ♥A852
the spade seven. As the cards lay, the defenders now had ♦K8
♣Q53
no trouble in making four spade tricks, and those
declarers finished down one. South West North East
Pass 1♣ Pass
One declarer allowed the spade queen to win the first trick 1♥ Pass 2♥ Pass
and played the spade jack on the next trick. After some 3 NT All pass
thought, the West at this table ducked, retaining his spade
Opening Lead: ♠6
A-10 tenace over South’s remaining honor. This was
enough to defeat the contract. When East won the club king and returned his remaining
spade, West could take three more spade tricks.
The final declarer judged that West had led from spade length and, as he had not
overcalled in spades, decided that the club king was likely to be wrong. He played the
spade two at trick one and the spade four under the spade seven at trick two. East
continued with a third round of spades to the jack and ace. However, when the club
finesse lost, that was the last trick for the defense, and declarer could take one spade, two
hearts and six tricks in the minors.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: My views about opening one
South Holds: diamond with 4-5 in the minors are very
♠9 strict. Do not do it with 3-1 in the majors (you
♥K64 can rebid one no-trump or raise as
♦AQ75 appropriate); also, do not do it unless your
♣ A J 10 9 2 four-card suit looks like five and your five like
four. Your clubs are good enough to open
South West North East and rebid if necessary here. But my plan
? would be to rebid one no-trump over one
spade, or to raise hearts.
The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, December 2nd, 2012
ANSWER: The older I get, the more I like to

know that partner has values when he
Dear Mr. Wolff: boosts me a couple of levels in the auction.
I was in third seat with ♠ 9, ♥ 4-3, ♦ 8-5-4, How about this for a compromise? After a
♣ A-Q-J-9-7-4-2. My partner dealt and minor-suit opening bid, play jump raises of
opened one diamond, and my RHO pre- the minor both in and out of competition as
empted to two spades. I judged three clubs prepared to play three no-trump facing a
to be an overbid, so I passed and my partner hand with extras, balanced, with the same
reopened with a double, letting me bid three approximate strength for major-suit jumps.
clubs. What should I do when my LHO bids But nonvulnerable, play the jumps as pre-
three spades and partner doubles again? emptive rather than mildly constructive.
— Double, Double, Riverside, Calif.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
ANSWER: A double of three spades does I've seen reference to the Law of Vacant
not become a penalty double after you made Spaces when deciding whether to finesse or
a takeout double one round previously — play for the drop. While my partner has often
even if you want it to. (Just because you referred to vacant spaces between my ears,
SAY it does — like Humpty Dumpty — is not I suspect that the law deals with something
enough. The second double suggests else. Would you explain, please?
extras, short in spades, with no clear call. So — Open Wide, Pottsville, Pa.
with your example hand I'd bid five clubs
now — the call I might have made the round
before.
ANSWER: When missing four cards, the
odds fractionally favor the drop over the
finesse. When the first defender has shown
Dear Mr. Wolff: two trumps and the second so far only one,
I read your column in the San Jose Mercury- there are 12 empty spaces left in one hand
News, where you had a letter describing a and 11 in the other…so the missing card
hand with 7-6 in the majors. That took me rates to be with the 12 not the 11. That said,
back 40 years or so, when I picked up my 13 as soon as the bidding or play indicates that
cards and saw a true Yarborough — with six second defender is known to have even one
spades, seven clubs, and not even a 10. My more card in a side-suit than his partner, the
partner had opened two spades, strong. Was odds go back to 50-50. So a two-card
there a sensible way to bid this? We ended disparity would move you to taking the
in six spades down one when the spade king finesse.
was guarded offside.
— Pointless Pete, Willoughby, Ohio Dear Mr. Wolff:
Partner opens one spade and RHO passes.
ANSWER: I'm guessing I'd have bid two no- Your collection is ♠ J-7-5-3, ♥ —, ♦ 8-5-4,
trump to start with, to see what happened ♣ K-Q-10-9-4-2. Does the trick-taking
next. Having said that, finding a forcing potential of the six-card club suit and the
continuation would not be easy! Equally, heart void make this hand strong enough for
though, while raising spades might work anything other than an immediate jump to
better, you will surely have to guess what to four spades to play? That is to say, is the
do. My guess would be to bid slam as you club suit worth showing? A very strong
did. player at our club thought that even a jump
to four spades was an overbid.
— Tall Order, New Smyrna Beach, Fla.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
My partner and I have been discussing
switching to pre-emptive jump raises of ANSWER: When deciding whether to bid
opening bids. But we are not sure of the two-over-one or make a pre-emptive raise,
merits of using jump raises of minors as I'd suggest your two-level calls start with an
weak as opposed to shapely hands. Where absolute minimum of a stretched opening
do you stand on this? bid. So change the club two into the ace and
two clubs would be fine. Playing standard
— Weak-Ender, Grand Junction, Colo. methods, the jump to four spades at once
seems clear. You have too much offence for
a pre-emptive raise, and too much fear of
the opponents making something to hang
around.
The Aces on Bridge: Monday, December 3rd, 2012
“He is free… whose impulses are unimpeded, whose desires attain their purpose, who
falls not into what he would avoid.”
— Epictetus
Dealer: West North

Against three no-trump West leads the heart eight, and Vul: East- ♠AJ6
East wins the first trick with the queen and returns the West ♥ 10 6
♦AK85
heart five when you hold up the ace. You might as well ♣K432
duck this, just in case West has opened on a five-card West East
♠ 10 5 3 ♠9742
suit. West wins with the jack and clears the heart suit,
♥KJ9873 ♥Q5
dummy and East each throwing spades. ♦ Q 10 7 ♦J6
♣6 ♣ Q J 10 9 8
You have eight top tricks, so an extra trick from the South
♠KQ8
diamond suit will carry you to the finishing line. You will ♥A42
need to duck a round of diamonds at some stage and it ♦9432
♣A75
must be to East, the safe hand with no more hearts. At
trick four you lead a low diamond from your hand. If West South West North East
produces the diamond six or seven you will cover with 2♥ Dbl. Pass
dummy’s eight, forcing East to win the trick. Nine tricks will 3 NT All pass
then be yours when the diamonds prove to be 3-2.

Opening Lead: ♥7
Suppose West holds diamond Q-10-7 and inserts the 10
on the first round. You win with dummy’s ace and see that it would not be safe to continue
by cashing the diamond king. West would win the third round of diamonds and cash too
many hearts for your liking. Instead, you return to your hand with a spade and lead
another diamond toward dummy. West has to produce the seven this time. You cover with
the eight, and are now sure to make three diamond tricks without letting West on lead.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: The reason why a heart lead is
South Holds: so much more attractive than a spade here
♠K832 is two-fold. The first factor is the heart 10,
♥ Q 10 8 2 which argues that if you find partner with any
♦J96 high card in the suit, you probably won't be
♣84 costing your side a trick. The second factor
is that if hearts are right, you have a
South West North East plausible entry to your suit, while the reverse
1 NT does not apply to spades.
Pass 3 NT All pass
The Aces on Bridge: Tuesday, December 4th, 2012
“Rules and models destroy genius and art.”

— William Hazlitt
Dealer: East North

Few would solve today's problem, although the correct Vul: East- ♠AQ6
play requires nothing more than a careful consideration of West ♥953
♦A8743
the opponents' bidding and a little thought as to how the ♣Q6
play is likely to develop. West East
♠J872 ♠ 10 9 5
♥A764 ♥8
Against four hearts the opening lead is the diamond two to
♦2 ♦ K Q J 10 5
dummy’s ace. Clearly the spot-card led indicates that ♣ 10 8 3 2 ♣AJ75
diamonds are 5-1, and while you are in no imminent South
♠K43
danger of a defensive ruff, the possibility exists that the ♥ K Q J 10 2
defenders may be able to arrange some inconvenient ♦96
♣K94
discards – if you let them.
On the bidding, it is both safe (and necessary as the cards 1♦
lie) to cash the spade ace, king and queen. While you 1♥ Dbl. 2♦ Pass
might feel this could expose you to ruffs, remember that 3♦ Pass 4♥ All pass
West’s negative double showed precisely four cards in the
Opening Lead: ♦2
spade suit. (With five he would have bid one spade.) The
reason for cashing those winners is to prevent West from discarding spades on diamond
winners.
It may feel that you have done the heavy lifting now, and can tackle trumps, but that is not
so. Instead you must lead the club queen to drive out the ace. You can ruff the third round
of diamonds high, then play a high trump from hand if you want, but after that you must
cash the club king and ruff a club, thereby avoiding the loss of a second club.
If you lead trumps early, West will ruff his partner’s diamond winner and can then play ace
and another trump to leave South with a second club loser.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You have the values to bid one
South Holds: no-trump, but you have a huge misfit (and
♠ 10 9 5 the last thing you want to do is have partner
♥8 run to his six-card heart suit). While one no-
♦ K Q J 10 5 trump may work here, I'd be inclined to pass
♣AJ75 and back in later. Remember, an immediate
call of two diamonds would be a raise of
South West North East hearts here, but a delayed bid of two
1♦ 1♥ Dbl. diamonds will be natural.
?
The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, December 5th, 2012
“Men of genius do not excel in any profession because they labor in it, but they labor in it
because they excel.”
— William Hazlitt
Dealer: South North

This column attempts to comb the civilized world for Vul: North- ♠AJ4
bridge deals to titillate the readers. Today's comes from a South ♥QJ732
♦942
South American championships, where Diego Brenner (a ♣ A 10
Brazilian now living in Spain) and Agustin Madala (an West East
♠KQ76 ♠—
Argentinean living in Italy) were playing together. Truly a
♥AK5 ♥ 10 8 6 4
cosmopolitan line-up! ♦J63 ♦ 10 8 7
♣J52 ♣K97643
Agustin and Diego are not a regular partnership but they South
♠ 10 9 8 5 3 2
are both inspired card-players, and Madala –who is still a ♥9
junior — may well become the strongest player in the ♦AKQ5
♣Q8
world in the next decade. He currently plays with Norberto
Bocchi on the Italian squad, and is capable of ingenious South West North East
flights of fancy. As witness today’s deal – where declarer 1♠ Pass 2♥ Pass
was none other than Marcelo Branco (the only player ever 2♠ Pass 4♠ All pass
to win two world pairs titles with different partners).

Opening Lead: ♥A
Against four spades the lead was the heart ace. When
this card held the trick, Madala switched to a club; dummy played the 10 and Diego won
the second trick with his king. Now Brenner returned a heart, and declarer, Marcelo
Branco, ruffed with the spade eight. On this trick Madala followed unhesitatingly with the
heart king!
Now, please sit in Branco’s chair… If he took the trump finesse and lost the lead to East,
the danger hand, that player would be able to return a heart to give his partner a ruff with
the missing trump honor. So Branco played what was the best percentage line – in
abstract – in the trump suit. He cashed the spade ace, and now could no longer avoid
losing two trump tricks, for one down.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Double by you is card-showing
South Holds: with the emphasis on take-out. You hope
♠AJ4 partner will produce three-card heart
♥QJ732 support, but if he bids two spades or three
♦942 clubs you should probably pass and hope he
♣ A 10 can make it. You expect partner to have a
minimum hand if he has any extra shape at
South West North East all, since otherwise he would not have
1♣ 1♦ passed at his previous turn.
1♥ 2♦ Pass Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Thursday, December 6th, 2012
“Oh, how shall I help to right the world that is going wrong!
And what can I do to hurry the promised time of peace!”
— Richard Gilder
Dealer: East North

When you hold a long strong major facing a balanced Vul: Neither ♠963
hand, the nine-trick game may prove easier to make. ♥ A Q J 10 5 4 3
♦ 10 6
Today's deal was just such an example though one can ♣2
hardly blame North here for insisting on playing hearts, West East
♠Q842 ♠ K 10 7
after East's two-diamond bid, which was explained as
♥92 ♥6
weak with diamonds, often only a five-card suit ♦K8 ♦QJ532
nonvulnerable. ♣ A Q J 10 6 ♣8543
South
♠AJ5
In four hearts, declarer won the lead of the diamond king, ♥K87
drew trump, and played a club. When West had the ace ♦A974
♣K97
and East did not have both spade honors, declarer had no
real chances left. South West North East
2♦
South should have ducked the diamond king at trick one, 2 NT Pass 3♦* Pass
the right play even if the lead was a singleton. If West 3♥ Pass 4♥ All pass
switches to a club and East has the ace, that player can *Hearts
continue with the diamond queen, but declarer ducks
Opening Lead: ♦K
again. Then he ruffs the diamond continuation and, after
drawing trump, discards dummy’s two spades on his diamond ace and club king.
Best defense after the diamond king holds is to switch to a spade to the king and ace.
Declarer draws trump with the jack and queen of hearts, and plays another diamond. East
must split his honors so declarer wins the ace and gives up a diamond to East’s queen,
establishing a trick for his seven. If West did not find the spade switch earlier, declarer is
now home. If West did switch to a spade at trick two, East can play another spade now,
but declarer should guess this correctly by running it to dummy’s nine.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Decisions of this sort can cause
South Holds: ulcers Is partner cuebidding or is he showing
♠Q842 long diamonds? Fortunately, today the
♥92 answer is simple; with a good hand partner
♦K8 has an unambiguous cuebid of two hearts (a
♣ A Q J 10 6 suit he had the opportunity to bid at his first
turn). So two diamonds should be natural
South West North East and you should pass.
1♦ Pass 1♥
Dbl. Pass 2♦ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Friday, December 7th, 2012
“Logic is logic. That's all I say.”

— Oliver Wendell Holmes
Dealer: West North

In today's deal Jerry Goldfein (who was part of the U.S. Vul: Both ♠KQ85
National team in Rhodes 15 years ago) produced a neat ♥ A J 10 8 3
♦Q74
play in which he followed his instincts and the clues from ♣2
the auction. Accordingly, he rejected what was apparently West East
♠ 10 4 ♠J32
his best line, and spotted the winning alternative.
♥952 ♥KQ764
♦— ♦A986
Six diamonds looks like a fine spot, but the 4-0 trumps ♣KQJ86543 ♣ 10
and the 8-1 club split are potentially very awkward to South
♠A976
overcome. On the lead of the club king, Goldfein won and ♥—
cashed the diamond king. If trumps had not broken 4-0, ♦ K J 10 5 3 2
♣A97
he intended to ruff a club with the diamond queen and
would have come to 12 tricks in comfort. When East won South West North East
the trump ace and returned a diamond, Goldfein resisted 3 NT* Dbl. 4♣
the temptation to try to ruff a club low in dummy, since the 5♣ Pass 5♥ Dbl.
6♦ Pass Pass Dbl.
auction had strongly suggested the bad club break. All pass
The difficulty is to see an alternative, but the double of the *Four-level pre-empt in a minor
final contract gave a clue to the location of the missing Opening Lead: ♣K
high cards. Goldfein instead drew all the trump and
decided to play West for the tripleton heart nine. He crossed to the spade queen to
advance the heart jack. East covered, and declarer ruffed. Then he went back to the table
with the spade king and played the heart ace followed by the heart 10, covered and ruffed.
When the heart nine fell, Goldfein could use the spade eight as an entry to pitch his club
loser on dummy’s heart eight, for his 12th trick.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You would like to balance with a
South Holds: double for the majors, but that seems too
♠KQ85 risky, since you would have no way of coping
♥ A J 10 8 3 with a response in clubs. Since game your
♦Q74 way might be easy if partner has a balanced
♣2 opening bid, unsuitable for a double, just bid
two hearts and hope to find your way back to
South West North East spades if partner has decent values.
2♦ Pass Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, December 8th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on December 22nd, 2012
“Look in my face; my name is Might-have-been;

I am also called No-more, Too-late, Farewell.”
— Christina Rossetti
Dealer: West North

The three bears came back from the duplicate club, and Vul: North- ♠985
as they came through the door, Goldilocks could see that South ♥A6
♦A764
a free and frank exchange of views had been taking ♣K852
place. Tactfully, she waited until Papa Bear had a large West East
♠ J 10 6 4 ♠AKQ72
glass of mead in front of him before asking how the game
♥84 ♥ 10 9 3 2
had gone. ♦ Q 10 9 ♦82
♣ J 10 9 4 ♣Q7
In response he produced the following 52-card diagram. South
♠3
Against four hearts the defense led the spade jack, then ♥KQJ75
10, ruffed. Papa Bear drew trump, then took the diamond ♦KJ53
♣A63
finesse and complained about his bad luck — he would
have made if trumps had been 3-3 or he could have South West North East
played the diamond suit for three tricks without loss. Pass Pass 1♠
2♥ 3♠* 4♥ All pass
When Goldilocks consoled him for his bad luck, Mama *Pre-emptive
chimed in that she thought she had been even unluckier.
She ruffed the second spade and immediately played the Opening Lead: ♠J
diamond ace and a diamond to the jack. Meanly, West
won and played a third diamond, ruffed by East. There was still a club to lose.
At this point Baby Bear, who had been hopping up and down trying to get a word in
edgewise, told Goldilocks how he had played the hand. He had pitched a club on the
second spade, then ruffed the third spade, and had crossed to the heart ace to lead a
diamond to the jack at once. Now he was safe, since he could ruff the fourth spade in
dummy and cross to his club ace to draw trump.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Tempting as it might be to use
South Holds: Blackwood, you are a long way short of a
♠3 decent slam if partner has a minimum hand.
♥KQJ75 A simple raise to four diamonds is
♦KJ53 irreproachable; you should also be able to
♣A63 bid four clubs as a cue-bid for diamonds. (If
you had hearts and clubs you would just bid
South West North East three no-trump now.) Either way, if partner
1♠ Pass does not cooperate, you can settle for five
2♥ Pass 3♦ Pass diamonds.
?
The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, December 9th, 2012
by Bobby Wolff on December 23rd, 2012
ANSWER: When your partner makes a jump

shift, your first duty is to describe the basic
Dear Mr. Wolff: nature of your hand. Here you have a
Holding:♠ A-J-10-3, ♥ K-J-6-5, ♦ 9-4-2, ♣ 9-6; balanced hand, so show that first by a call of
I dealt and passed. My LHO opened one no- two no-trump. Raise hearts later — spades
trump, passed back to me. I felt like I had to can wait, since partner has either a one-
do something so I showed the majors, and suiter or support for clubs, but never spades.
my partner was asked what he expected. He
said, truthfully, that he expected a 5-4
pattern. When my hand came down as Dear Mr. Wolff:
dummy in two spades (making eight tricks),
everyone laughed at me. Was I out of line? Under what circumstances should a double
of an artificial call be lead-directing as
— Donald Duck, Spokane, Wash. opposed to suggesting a sacrifice?
Specifically, if the opponents transfer over a
no-trump opening, does the meaning of the
ANSWER: These days, coming in over one double alter depending on what the range of
no-trump — especially as a passed hand if the no-trump is, and at what level the
the vulnerability is not against you — is the transfer takes place?
norm, not the exception. I wholeheartedly — Pushing Up Daisies, Sunbury, Pa.
approve of this, but it helps to clue your
partner in so that he won't be expecting the
World's Fair.
ANSWER: Over a weak no-trump, the
double of a transfer by an unpassed hand
can sensibly be played as high cards, not
Dear Mr. Wolff: lead-directing. But setting that issue aside,
I was all set to open with ♠ A-Q-4-3, ♥ A-Q-9- I'd say the double of a two-level transfer is
7-3, ♦ 10-4, ♣ A-K when my RHO pre- for the lead, but encourages partner to
empted to three diamonds. I doubled, and compete with a suitable hand. At higher
heard my partner jump to four spades. What levels the double simply asks for a lead.
is the best way forward now?
— Onward and Upward, Chicago, Ill. Dear Mr. Wolff:
My partner and I play standard signals, but
ANSWER: If your target is only to get to we occasionally get confused as to when an
small slam you can bid five spades – this attitude signal is less relevant than another
focuses on diamond control. Partner will not message. For example, when should third
bid slam without at least second-round hand send a count or suit-preference
control. If you cannot envisage a hand message at the first trick?
opposite without a top diamond, then use — Soonest Mended, Newport News, Va.
Key-card Blackwood. This might get you to
the grand slam if partner has the diamond
ace and both major-suit kings.
ANSWER: A simple rule is that at trick one,
suit preference applies only when
continuation of the suit led is clearly not
Dear Mr. Wolff: helpful. This is very rare. By contrast, when
I know you are a fan of the strong jump shift you cannot beat dummy's card of a jack or
but can you help me with how to rebid as lower, your attitude is implicitly defined, so
opener? Holding ♠ A-9-3-2, ♥ J-5-4, ♦ A-9, you should signal count. Equally, if partner's
♣ K-J-9-6, I opened one club and heard my lead holds the trick and both members of the
partner bid two hearts. Should I raise hearts, partnership know that third hand likes the
bid spades, or offer no-trump? lead, he does not have to signal that
message a second time, so he can signal
— Second Helpings, Sacramento, Calif. count.
The Aces on Bridge: Monday, December 10th, 2012
“There is no escape by the river,

There is no flight left by the fen;
We are compassed about by the shiver
Of the night of their marching men.”
— Richard Hovey
Dealer: South North

How should you play your heart game when West leads Vul: East- ♠ 10 3 2
the diamond queen to dummy's ace? West ♥ A Q 10 7 6 3
♦A
♣872
If you can force the defenders to open up spades for you, West East
you hold your losers in that suit to one. To that end, you ♠KQ75 ♠986
♥8 ♥9
should aim to eliminate the red suits and exit in clubs.
♦ Q J 10 5 3 ♦K9842
Suppose you cross to a trump at trick two, ruff your ♣Q93 ♣KJ65
remaining diamond, and play ace and another club. Today South
♠AJ4
East could win the second club with the jack, play a spade ♥KJ542
to the queen, win the third club with the king, and send ♦76
♣ A 10 4
another spade through. That would be one down.
To prevent East from gaining the lead twice in clubs, you 1♥ Pass 4♦* Pass
must make the first club lead from dummy, intending to 4♥ All pass
insert the club 10. If West (who cannot attack spades *Short diamonds with a raise to at
effectively) wins and returns a club, you will win with the least four hearts
ace and exit in clubs, forcing the defenders to play spades
Opening Lead: ♦Q
or concede a ruff-sluff.
What if East plays the club jack on the first round? You win with the club ace, cross to a
trump, and lead toward your club 10. If East ducks, you will play the club 10 to duck the
trick into the safe hand. Suppose instead that East rises with the club king and switches to
a spade, West winning with the queen. West can now cash the club queen but must then
lead into your spade tenace. The contract is safe unless East happens to hold all three
missing club honors.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: In situations of this sort, one
South Holds: tends to look for the lead least likely to cost
♠ K 10 2 a trick. The stand-out choice is the heart
♥984 nine, since it is as likely to hit partner's suit
♦Q8742 as anything else, but also — by virtue of
♣Q2 being a lead from a sequence — it is
relatively safe.
1♦ Pass 3 NT
All pass
“Time is the school in which we learn,

Time is the fire in which we burn.”
— Delmore Schwartz
Dealer: North North

When South discovered that his side had all the key- Vul: East- ♠QJ9
cards, his mind turned optimistically for a second to West ♥AQ
♦AQ873
thoughts of a spade grand slam. One of the merits of Key- ♣A54
card Blackwood is that it also allows you to identify the West East
♠63 ♠52
trump queen and specific kings. When North showed the
♥J98643 ♥ 10 7 2
spade queen but denied any kings, South knew he was ♦2 ♦KJ964
high enough. ♣ Q J 10 8 ♣962
South
♠ A K 10 8 7 4
Against the small slam the lead was the club queen to ♥K5
South’s king. The two top spades draw all the trump; now ♦ 10 5
♣K73
how should you advance?
The 100 percent play is to cash the diamond ace, then 1♦ Pass
cross to hand with the heart king and lead the diamond 1♠ Pass 2 NT Pass
10. If West follows low, play the queen. Should it score, 3♠ Pass 4♣ Pass
4 NT Pass 5♣* Pass
declarer is home with an overtrick. If East wins, declarer
5♦** Pass 6♠ All pass
has three entries to table (in the form of a spade, heart
*Three of the five key-cards including
and club) to enable him to set up and enjoy the long the trump king
diamond. **Asking for the trump queen
As the cards lie, though, when West shows out on the Opening Lead: ♣Q
second diamond, dummy plays low and East can win the
jack. But declarer has plenty of entries to take the ruffing finesse against the diamond king
and nine, and eventually discard his club on the established diamond.
Paradoxically, if West had led his singleton diamond, this would have been an extremely
easy play to find because the risk of the 5-1 diamond break would have been foremost in
declarer’s mind.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You have an easy acceptance of
South Holds: the invitation but no idea which slam is best.
♠QJ9 The easiest way to get partner to choose
♥AQ between diamonds, spades and no-trump is
♦AQ873 to bid five no-trump here. This is not a buck-
♣A54 passing nonforcing action. It asks partner to
offer his ideas of a suitable slam up the line,
South West North East and you will then offer yours or pass his
1♦ Pass 1♠ Pass suggestion if it meets with your approval.
2 NT Pass 4 NT Pass
?
“Tip-Toe Thru the Tulips with Me.”

— Al Dubin
Dealer: North North

The North cards are difficult to evaluate at the second Vul: Both ♠J962
turn, but facing a response that shows five spades (you ♥A754
♦ K Q 10 7
would have made a negative double with four spades), ♣A
your partner took the slightly pushy position to jump to West East
♠5 ♠A73
three spades, buoyed by the knowledge that he had no
♥ 10 2 ♥KQJ86
wasted values in hearts. ♦98542 ♦63
♣ 10 9 8 6 3 ♣752
How will you play your contract of six spades when West South
♠ K Q 10 8 4
accurately leads the heart 10? ♥93
♦AJ
You win with dummy’s heart ace of course, and must ♣KQJ4
attempt to discard your heart loser on a minor-suit winner
before playing on trump. Everyone follows to the ace and 1♦ 1♥
king of diamonds, but on the third round, East is mean 1♠ Pass 3♠ Pass
enough to ruff the diamond queen with the trump three. 4♣ Pass 4♥ Pass
4 NT Pass 5♥ Pass
You overruff with the four, cross to the club ace, and try
6♠ All pass
your luck with the diamond 10. Again, East persists in his
irritating defense by ruffing in with the seven. What now? Opening Lead: ♥10
Again, you have no choice. You overruff with the eight and must now attempt to throw all
three of dummy’s heart losers on your club K-Q-J. Will the club suit assist you by breaking
4-4? No, but your luck turns on the fourth round of clubs. You discard dummy’s last heart,
and although East is out of clubs, he is finally out of small trumps and can only ruff in with
the spade ace.
Now you can draw West’s last trump and ruff your heart in dummy whatever the defenders
do.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Once you pass your partner's
South Holds: opening bid, you cannot have enough values
♠5 to want to play no-trump. Accordingly you
♥ 10 2 can bid two no-trump to get your partner to
♦98542 pick his better minor. It is a general principle
♣ 10 9 8 6 3 that a limited hand that hasn't tried to play
no-trump can't suddenly change its mind in
South West North East response to a double. Such no-trump calls
1♠ Pass almost always suggest two places to play.
Pass 2♥ Dbl. Pass
?
“In a minute there is time

For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.”
— T.S. Eliot
Dealer: North North

At the table South knew that his partner's four-club bid Vul: Neither ♠ J 9 7
would deliver a degree of spade fit and suitability for slam, ♥ 10 2
♦ A Q 10 3
and he gambled that he would be able to discard ♣A975
diamonds from dummy on his hearts, or that a well-placed West East
♠842 ♠53
queen would give him a finesse for slam.
♥87 ♥9643
♦J965 ♦K87
A casual onlooker might take a cursory glance at today’s ♣KQJ4 ♣8632
deal and remark on the dangers of reaching a grand slam South
♠ A K Q 10 6
that appears to hinge on a finesse. You would be right in ♥AKQJ5
theory, of course, but wrong in practice. The grand slam ♦42
♣ 10
comes closer to an 85 percent chance if properly handled.
With that hint, let’s reassess declarer’s best line on the South West North East
lead of a top club. Pass Pass
2♣ Pass 2 NT Pass
The play is to take the club king with the ace, then ruff a 3♠ Pass 4♣ Pass
4 NT Pass 5♥ Pass
club with the queen, followed by the spade ace, and the
7♠ All pass
spade six to the nine. When trumps behave, as they will
do at least two-thirds of the time, you take a second club Opening Lead: ♣K
ruff, then play a heart to the 10, take a third club ruff, and
finally lead a diamond to the ace.
At this point South’s diamond loser can be discarded on the spade jack and the last four
tricks are taken with South’s 100 honors in hearts.
This line of play is known as a dummy-reversal, in that by ruffing in the long hand you get
six trump tricks where only five had seemed to exist. If trumps break 4-1, you take the
diamond finesse, of course.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: It is normally correct to run from
South Holds: one no-trump doubled when you know your
♠53 side has the minority of high-cards. That is
♥9643 not so here, and with your values in the only
♦K87 suit that the opponents have shown, you
♣8632 have no particular reason to be afraid of any
suit. Pass, and allow your partner to decide
South West North East whether to run or not.
1♦ 1 NT Dbl.
?
“Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented.”

— George Braque
Dealer: South North

In today's deal West entered with the unusual no-trump, Vul: North- ♠K5
showing at least 5-5 shape in the minor suits. South's South ♥A865
♦764
double proclaimed a strong hand, and North now had a ♣8654
problem. His selection of three hearts on a hand West East
♠3 ♠ Q J 10 8
containing an ace and a king was an underbid; I think that
♥J2 ♥ Q 10 9 7 3
four clubs would have been best. All was well, though, ♦ Q J 10 9 5 ♦2
when South rebid three spades and North raised to four ♣KQJ92 ♣ 10 7 3
South
spades. How would you play this when West leads the ♠A97642
club king to your ace? ♥K4
♦AK83
♣A
Declarer could see eight spades and only six hearts
between his hand and the dummy. It seemed therefore South West North East
slightly more likely that West held one spade and two 1♠ 2 NT Pass 3♣
hearts rather than the other way around. So he crossed to Dbl. Pass 3♥ Pass
the trump king and led a diamond to the ace. A heart to
the ace was followed by another diamond toward the Opening Lead: ♣K
South hand.
East saw that he could not gain by ruffing a loser with a master trump so he discarded,
and declarer won with the diamond king. He then surrendered the third round of
diamonds, planning to ruff the fourth round. West won the trick and could not thwart
declarer’s plan. If he returned a diamond, declarer would ruff with dummy’s five and the
defenders would then score just two trump tricks to go with the one diamond trick. If
instead West returned a club, declarer would ruff in his hand and lead a fourth round of
diamonds himself, ruffing in the dummy.
Either way, the contract was home.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Partner's reverse to two
South Holds: diamonds (forcing you to give preference at
♠K5 the three-level) shows extras. Now should
♥A865 you bid two no-trump to protect your spade
♦764 king, or give preference to three clubs,
♣8654 allowing partner to look for no-trump
himself? I prefer the latter — which I'd play
South West North East as forcing in a noncompetitive auction.
1♣ Pass Showing your four-card support may be
1♥ 1♠ 2♦ Pass
critical to partner's plans.
?
“A straw vote only shows which way the hot air blows.”
— O. Henry
Dealer: North North

Today's deal is a tester. Against your slam of six spades Vul: East- ♠KQ4
West leads a trump — which certainly feels like a good West ♥QJ964
♦8542
start for the defenders, though in fact a low heart lead ♣A
would have been fatal. With one diamond and six spade West East
♠98 ♠52
tricks, you need to score all five of your clubs, and that
♥ K 10 8 7 3 ♥A2
simply requires 4-3 clubs. But can you improve on those ♦KJ73 ♦ Q 10 9 6
chances? ♣J9 ♣Q8642
South
♠ A J 10 7 6 3
The answer is yes, but the play must be precise. Win the ♥5
spade queen, and when both opponents follow, you lead a ♦A
♣ K 10 7 5 3
diamond to the ace, a club to the ace, and take a diamond
ruff. This is followed by a low club ruff (do NOT cash the South West North East
club king) and the sight of the club jack should alert you to 1♥ Pass
the possibilities of a bad break in that suit. 1♠ Pass 2♠ Pass
2 NT Pass 3♦ Pass
4 NT Pass 5♠ Pass
A diamond ruff, and a low club ruff disclose the bad news.
6♠ All pass
A diamond ruff high and the spade ace reduces everyone
to four cards. You have a trump, a heart and the K-10 of Opening Lead: ♠9
clubs, dummy and West have four hearts, and East is
down to the doubleton heart ace and the guarded club queen. On the last trump if East
pitches a club, you cash two winners; if he throws a small heart away, you lead a heart
and endplay him. And if he pitches his heart ace, you lead a heart to the nine and claim,
whoever wins the trick!
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Three clubs here is a forcing call,
South Holds: asking you to assess your suitability for the
♠KQ4 suit game or no-trump. Your hand is
♥QJ964 minimum with no diamond stop so a simple
♦8542 rebid of three spades seems best to me.
♣A With ace-fourth of diamonds and a singleton
club, a three-diamond bid would make
South West North East sense, but not here.
1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass
2♠ Pass 3♣ Pass
?
ANSWER: Attitude signals mean that third

hand plays a high card to encourage
Dear Mr. Wolff: continuation of the suit (or to suggest NOT
I know that if I am on lead against no-trump switching) and a low card to discourage or
and my partner has doubled dummy's suit ask for the obvious shift. High says Ay, Low
bid that I must lead that suit (unless I have a says No as English International Andrew
very good reason not to). However, say that I Robson says..Defining the obvious shift is
bid one heart over one club and LHO bids not as easy as it might sound, though…
diamonds, RHO ending up in three no-
trump, doubled by my partner. Does my
partner's double demand that I lead Dear Mr. Wolff:
diamonds, or does it show that he has
something in hearts and thinks that we can I opened one diamond, holding ♠ J-7, ♥ A-4,
set three no-trump? (I led a heart, and my ♦ A-K-8-4-3, ♣ Q-J-7-5, and my partner
partner didn't approve!) responded one spade. When I rebid two
clubs, he supported me to two diamonds.
— Dick Deadeye, Marco Island, Fla. Should I bid three diamonds, or two no-
trump now, or explore with two hearts?
— High Hopes, Boulder, Colorado
ANSWER: Here is a simple rule: Double
asks opening leader to lead his suit if the
doubler has not had a chance to support
cheaply. But if he did have a chance and ANSWER: When partner gives preference to
didn't take it — as here — it demands an two diamonds, he typically has only two or
alternative lead. On the auction shown I'd three diamonds and 6-10 points. To my
guess diamonds, not spades. mind, passing two diamonds is the
percentage action — any advance may get
you uncomfortably high. But perhaps the
diamond 10 might be enough to persuade
Dear Mr. Wolff: me to make a slightly pushy game-try of two
In fourth chair I held ♠ Q-J-4, ♥ Q-7-4, ♦ 10- no-trump?
9-2, ♣ A-10-8-7. My partner opened one
heart. I chose to raise to two hearts, rather
than bid one no-trump, but when my partner Dear Mr. Wolff:
bid three diamonds I thought I had nothing
extra and rebid three hearts, missing a I notice that the lead in partner's suit is
game. Was I wrong? typically the smallest card in that side's bid
suit. Many years ago when I learned to play I
— Slow Developer, Toronto, Ontario was 'taught' to always lead the highest card
in my partner's bid suit, if for no other reason
my partner 'would know where that card was'
ANSWER: Your raise to two hearts looks since it is our suit. Please help me
right – support with support is a sound understand what the downside is in leading
principle. Over three diamonds you might my highest card in our suit on the opening
have tried three no-trump with your solid lead.
black-suit stops, but your actual choice of — Jungle Jim, Indianapolis, Indiana
three hearts is reasonable too.
ANSWER: The danger of leading high

Dear Mr. Wolff: (especially the ace, king or queen) from
Can you please explain what you mean by three cards when your partner has five or six
"attitude" signals? How does this interact cards is that you give up an honor
with what my friends call the obvious shift? unnecessarily when declarer has length with
a top honor and the jack such as K-J-x or A-
— Last Call, Palm Springs, Calif. J-x. Also, partner may think you have two
cards only and switch prematurely, or try to
give you a ruff and cost a trick or a tempo.
“And that there is no flaw or vacuum in the amount of the truth — but that all is truth
without exception.”
— Walt Whitman
Dealer: West North

Two of the biggest truisms in the game are that second Vul: North- ♠J2
hand should 'always' play low while third hand should South ♥A95
♦Q53
'always' play high. Particularly if you've been listening to ♣A9742
lecturers telling you how to preserve your honors, then West East
♠ A K 10 6 4 ♠97
here, when the defenders lead a spade against three no-
♥J8 ♥ Q 10 7 6 4 3
trump, you know not to waste the spade jack at trick one. ♦A72 ♦964
Right? Not exactly. ♣J65 ♣ 10 8
South
♠Q853
If neither opponent had bid, putting up the spade jack ♥K2
would probably be a very poor play; that is because you ♦ K J 10 8
♣KQ3
can insure your side a spade trick by keeping your powder
dry and preserving the spade jack and queen for the South West North East
purposes they were intended, not throwing them away. 1♠ Pass Pass
Imagine West with A-9-7-6 of spades and you will see that 1 NT* Pass 2 NT Pass
3 NT All pass
rising with the jack might be the only way to go down in
*11-16
this hand!
Opening Lead: ♠6
But that is not so today; you do have opposition bidding,
which tells you that West has most of the partnership’s high-cards and five or more
spades. Here if you play low from dummy then when East inserts the nine you score your
spade queen at trick one but West will have four spades ready to cash when in with the
diamond ace.
Instead put up the spade jack and knock out the diamond ace. That way you preserve the
spade honors in your hand and West cannot run the spades. Note that if East began with
either a doubleton spade ace or king you are dead in the water, whatever you do.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Did you work out that the double
South Holds: was Lightner, suggesting a void somewhere
♠ K 10 7 6 4 3 and asking you for an unusual lead? Well
♥K8 done: but did you also work out not to lead
♦Q2 your lowest spade in case partner ruffs and
♣ 10 5 2 tries to underlead his club honors, hoping to
find you with a high club honor? Lead the
South West North East spade six and you will avoid that particular
1♦ 4♣ 4♥ accident.
5♣ 5♥ Dbl. All pass
“A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.”
— George Moore
Dealer: South North

South correctly opened one spade here, because with five Vul: Both ♠AK75
losers he thought he would need two cover cards or some ♥75
♦K83
trump support to make game. Things turned out well when ♣9765
his partner was able to give a limit raise in spades. After West East
♠2 ♠64
cue-bidding and checking for key cards, he found himself
♥ J 10 9 2 ♥8643
in six spades on the lead of the heart jack. Put yourself in ♦A942 ♦ J 10 6 5
his shoes:. How do you plan to make 12 tricks? Whom do ♣K432 ♣ J 10 8
South
you want to play for the diamond ace? ♠ Q J 10 9 8 3
♥AKQ
After winning the heart lead, you should draw trump with ♦Q7
♣AQ
the ace and queen, then lead the diamond seven toward
the dummy. When West holds the diamond ace, as here, South West North East
he is caught on the horns of a dilemma, also known as a 1♠ Pass 3♠ Pass
“Morton’s Fork.” If he takes his diamond ace, the eventual 4♣ Pass 4♦ Pass
4 NT Pass 5♥* Pass
discard on the diamond king will take care of the club 6♠ All pass
queen.
*Two of the five key-cards from the
four aces and trump king
West’s choice of playing low is no better. After the
diamond king wins, you will throw a diamond from dummy Opening Lead: ♥J
on the third round of hearts. When you exit with the
diamond queen to West’s ace, he is endplayed. A red-suit return will allow you to ruff in
dummy and throw the club queen from hand, while a club back will guarantee two tricks in
the suit.
This same position does not arise if you play East for the diamond ace; if he had that card,
he could duck the first round of diamonds, then win his ace and lead a club through the
ace-queen.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your partner's failure to raise
South Holds: spades denies four — in some circles,
♠AK75 where support doubles are used, it denies
♥75 three. Since he clearly has relatively short
♦K83 spades and diamonds, he must have real
♣9765 clubs and a minimum hand, so compete to
three clubs.
1♣ 1♦
1♠ 2♦ Pass Pass
?
by Bobby Wolff on January 2nd, 2013
“The trouble with people is not that they don't know but that they know so much that ain't
so.”
— Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw)
Dealer: East North

Against your four spades, reached after North's cuebid of Vul: East- ♠J982
two diamonds, which was artificial and said nothing about West ♥72
♦ K 10 8 4
diamonds (it merely showed a high-card limit raise in ♣AQ3
spades.) West leads a diamond to his partner's jack. At West East
♠4 ♠ 10 7
trick two East returns the heart king. Plan the play.
♥J983 ♥ K Q 10 4
♦Q752 ♦AJ63
This may look like a standard elimination-type hand (in ♣J986 ♣ K 10 5
which you eliminate hearts and try to duck a club to East South
♠AKQ653
to give you a trick in either hearts or clubs). ♥A65
♦9
However, with such small club spots in both your two ♣742
hands, that line is unlikely to work.
1♦
Instead, look at your diamonds. That is the suit where the
1♠ Pass 2♦ Pass
good spot cards will come into play. Since the bidding and 4♠ All pass
play thus far tell you that East must surely have the
diamond ace, you can take ruffing finesses through him to Opening Lead: ♦2
establish discards for yourself.
Win the heart ace, play the trump ace and a trump to dummy, and advance the diamond
king, ruffing out East’s ace. At this point you can lead another spade to dummy and pass
the diamond 10, discarding a club.
West can win with his queen and shift to a club, but you win the club switch with the ace
and cash the diamond eight, discarding your last club loser. You then give up a heart, and
ruff the last heart in dummy. You end up losing two diamonds and one heart, but no clubs.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Though your club honors are well
South Holds: placed, you are not really worth a game-try.
♠J982 Partner could have jumped to three spades
♥72 with anything approaching extras, so he
♦ K 10 8 4 rates to be balanced and minimum (with only
♣AQ3 three spades on a really bad day). I could
understand moving on with the spade 10 in
South West North East addition to your assets, but here discretion
Pass 1♥ 2♣ looks to be the better part of valor; so pass.
Dbl. Pass 2♠ Pass
?
by Bobby Wolff on January 3rd, 2013
“Beauty is but a flower

Which wrinkles will devour;
Brightness falls from the air;
Queens have died young and fair.”
— Thomas Nash
Dealer: West North

In this deal, from the 2002 European Championships, Vul: Both ♠AK8
Peter Schaltz, South for Denmark, ended in four hearts on ♥654
♦AJ9
the auction shown. ♣ K 10 8 4
West East
After the lead of the diamond king, taken by dummy’s ace, ♠J9 ♠ 10 7 3 2
♥ A 10 8 ♥Q3
declarer played a trump to the jack and ace. Norberto
♦KQ7532 ♦ 10 4
Bocchi cashed his diamond queen and continued with a ♣J5 ♣Q9732
third, letting Duboin ruff in with the heart queen to promote South
♠Q654
the setting trick in trumps via an uppercut. ♥KJ972
♦86
In the other room, after the same opening, although ♣A6
North-South identified their heart fit, the Italians chose
three no-trump as their final contract, played by North, 1♦ Dbl. Pass
Lorenzo Lauria. 2♦ Pass 2 NT Pass
East led the diamond 10, West played the queen and
Lauria ducked. North won the diamond continuation and Opening Lead: ♦K
played a heart to the jack and ace. He won the third
diamond and led another heart, allowing East’s queen to hold. As East had no diamond to
return, Lauria ended with 10 tricks. The critical moment in the defense was that on the
third diamond, East had to discard his heart queen, and that would have left declarer
without resource.
Curiously, if West ducks the first diamond (normally sound technique in these positions),
Lauria can always make the hand. He wins cheaply, leads a heart up, and East cannot
unblock his queen — or West later gets endplayed in diamonds to concede a second
heart trick. And if East plays low on the first heart, declarer puts in the jack, wins the
second diamond, and ducks a heart to East’s bare queen, as happened at the table.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: The choice here is between a
South Holds: simple preference to two diamonds, which
♠Q654 understates your values while insuring the
♥KJ972 plus-score, and the aggressive call of two
♦86 no-trump. The no-trump call is my choice,
♣A6 while the rebid in diamonds would be an
underbid, but both are better than rebidding
South West North East the hearts, which would guarantee six or a
1♦ Pass better suit than this.
1♥ Pass 2♣ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Friday, December 21st, 2012
“A wise skepticism is the first attribute of a good critic.”

— James Lowell
Dealer: Both North

Four spades might have been best today here, but when Vul: North ♠AK5
West led the club jack against three no-trump, it left South ♥7652
♦AQJ42
in the awkward position of having no sure re-entry to ♣6
hand. He could go after spades, but if he did, he might West East
♠J8 ♠ Q 10 2
find himself at the mercy of the heart position unless the
♥AQ84 ♥ 10 9 3
defenders continued playing on clubs (and even then ♦K6 ♦9853
there would only be eight top tricks). Did that mean it was ♣ J 10 9 3 2 ♣854
South
right to play on diamonds immediately? No, because he ♠97643
would then have no certain entry back to his remaining ♥KJ
♦ 10 7
club winners. ♣AKQ7
So, before tackling the diamond suit, South cashed the South West North East
three top clubs, both defenders following. When he led the 1♦ Pass
diamond 10, West covered with the king, and the second 1♠ Pass 2♠ Pass
3♣ Pass 3♦ Pass
key moment of the deal had arrived. 3 NT All pass
If declarer had won this trick with dummy’s ace, then he Opening Lead: ♣J
would soon discover that East still had a stopper in the
suit. Needing four diamond tricks, declarer would have to play a fourth round of diamonds.
East (the danger hand) would gain the lead, and a heart switch would allow the defenders
to score three hearts, two clubs and one diamond trick to beat the game.
Foreseeing this possibility, and needing only four diamond tricks rather than five, declarer
allowed West’s diamond king to win. Now the safe hand (West, who could not attack
hearts) was on lead, and though he had two clubs to cash, declarer would claim nine
winners as soon as he regained the lead.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: You can play the pass as either a
South Holds: desire to play for penalties or an escape
♠AK5 request, and the latter may come up more
♥7652 frequently. But if you do want to play for
♦AQJ42 penalties, it is very irksome to be unable to
♣6 do so when your RHO psyches a redouble,
isn't it? I suggest passes or redoubles are
South West North East always to play except at the one-level. It is a
3♣ simple blanket agreement and an easy one
Dbl. Rdbl. Pass Pass
to remember.
?
The Aces on Bridge: Saturday, December 22nd, 2012
“Eternity was in that moment.”

— William Congreve
Dealer: North North

Here is a neat declarer play by Barnet Shenkin's from a Vul: Both ♠J985
Pairs game where he shrugged off the nasty splits to bring ♥KJ5
♦752
home his four-spade contract. ♣Q76
West East
West led the diamond king to Shenkin’s ace — and, yes, ♠ 10 7 3 2 ♠A
♥— ♥ Q 10 9 8 3
as the cards lie, it might have been better to duck this
♦ K Q 10 4 3 ♦J96
trick). Shenkin then played the spade king at trick two to ♣ 10 8 4 2 ♣K953
East’s ace. The diamond jack came next, followed by a South
♠KQ64
third round of the suit, ruffed by Shenkin, who got the bad ♥A7642
news in trumps when he cashed the spade queen. ♦A8
♣AJ
Undaunted, he continued with a heart to dummy’s king (it
would not have profited West to ruff) and a club to his South West North East
jack. Shenkin then cashed the club ace and played a Pass Pass
spade to dummy’s nine. East was already starting to feel 1♥ Pass 2♥ Pass
2♠ Pass 3♠ Pass
the pressure. He pitched one club and one heart, but was 4♠ All pass
really under the gun when Shenkin cashed the spade
jack. Opening Lead: ♦K
A heart discard was out of the question, so he had to let go a club. Shenkin then exited
with the club queen, putting East on play with the king in the two-card ending with the
heart Q-10 left, obliged to lead into dummy’s tenace. Contract made; but have you noticed
the defensive slip? East should win his spade ace and return the heart 10 — suit
preference — to let West ruff. Now a diamond to the jack allows the defenders to take a
second ruff and set the hand. That is why ducking the first trick was essential.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: The raise to two spades is a
South Holds: constructive game-try, not obstructive.
♠J985 Accordingly, it suggests around 16-17 high
♥KJ5 cards with four trump. Your balanced shape
♦752 and apparently unattractive club holding
♣Q76 probably argues that pass would be best.
However, you are on the cusp of action (if
South West North East the club queen were the diamond queen,
1♣ Dbl. Pass you would be worth a try of three diamonds.)
1♠ Pass 2♠ Pass
?
The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, December 23rd, 2012
ANSWER: A cuebid in response to an

overcall implies values and support for
Dear Mr. Wolff: partner. So, with a minimum overcall, just
My RHO pre-empted to two diamonds and I repeat your suit, rather than taking the
held ♠ A-Q-7-3, ♥ K-4-2, ♦ K-4, ♣ A-Q-3-2. I auction up an extra level. If your partner
chose to double rather than to bid two no- simply has a good hand with a suit of his
trump, and raised my partner's two-spade own, he will make a descriptive call next. Bid
response to three spades, but he passed, three diamonds with the diamond king
and we missed game. Should I have done instead of the two.
more?
— Hanging Back, San Francisco, California Dear Mr. Wolff:
In third seat, when I picked up ♠ A-J-4-3-2,
ANSWER: Your initial double was better ♥ Q-J-7-3, ♦ Q-J-2, ♣ 5, I elected to jump to
than a two-no-trump call (even a 4-3 major- four spades facing a one-spade opener. My
suit fit could be best here). After your partner partner held a 5-4 pattern with 16 points and
responds two spades, which tends to have four little clubs so slam was where we
an upper limit of 8 HCP, your choice is to belonged. He said I was too strong, while I
pass, which would be a little pessimistic, to thought with three aces he owed me a bid.
rebid two no-trump (which you might do over Who is right?
a two-heart response) or to raise to three — Stumbling by the Wayside, Portland,
spades. There is certainly no case for doing Maine
more.
ANSWER: I am sorry to say that your

Dear Mr. Wolff: partner was right. Typically, when you hold
Is there an unambiguous rule as to when to game-going values with a big trump fit and
respond in a major as opposed to a minor, or side-shortage as you did, the modern
even when to bypass a four-card suit in technique is to jump to a new suit at the four-
response to an opening bid of one club? level — though your hand is dead minimum
for this action. This is called a splinter bid,
— Miss Manners, Orlando, Fla. and that would let your partner judge if he
had the right hand to stay low or aim high.
Today, he'd know what to do.
ANSWER: With a four-card major and less
than invitational values, you should generally
bid it, rather than diamonds. One exception Dear Mr. Wolff:
comes if the major suit is very weak and you
have an absolutely flat hand with honors in What are the restrictions on the use of the
each of the other suits and about 8-10 support double? Which players can use a
points, when bidding one no-trump in double to show three-card support, and how
response to one club makes sense. You can late in the auction do such doubles apply?
also bypass a major if the second hand — Backbones, Seneca, S.C.
doubles, though. Incidentally, with game-
forcing values, I tend to bid my best suit first,
if holding four cards in diamonds and a
major. ANSWER: To clarify the question, if support
doubles are in use, then at opener's second
turn to speak, in a contested auction, his
double shows precisely three-card support
Dear Mr. Wolff: for his partner's suit. The conditions are rigid:
I was dealt ♠ A-Q-7-6-5, ♥ Q-4, ♦ Q-7-3-2, the bidding must be at or below two of
♣ 9-4, and made a one-spade overcall over partner's suit, and it applies only to opener at
my opponent's one-heart opening bid. My his second turn to call. For higher
partner bid two hearts, which I took as intervention, opener's double tends simply to
asking me to describe my hand, so I bid be real extra values.
three diamonds. When we got too high, my
partner told me I should have rebid my
spades. Is that right with only a five-card
suit? If so, how do I show extras?
— Busy Bee, Albany, Ga.
“A verse may catch a wandering Soul, that flies

Profounder Tracts, and by a blest surprise
Convert delight into a Sacrifice.”
Dealer: South North

In four spades it looks natural to win the diamond lead in Vul: Both ♠J84
hand and lay down the spade ace, planning to cash the ♥3
♦ A 10 9 6 4 3
trump king. Remarkably, after one top trump, the game ♣954
can no longer be made against the 4-1 trump break! West West East
♠Q752 ♠3
will ruff in on the diamonds, draw dummy's trump, and
♥ K J 10 5 4 2 ♥AQ8
cash three hearts. ♦2 ♦875
♣KQ ♣ J 10 8 7 3 2
Suppose instead that you play a heart after cashing one South
♠ A K 10 9 6
round of trump. East will win and deliver a diamond ruff. ♥976
The switch to the club king will then set up a fourth trick ♦KQJ
♣A6
for the defenders, to go with West’s trump queen.
Since the contract will be easy if trumps break 3-2, you 1♠ 2♥ 2♠ 3♥
should assume a 4-1 trump break and direct your efforts 4♠ All pass
to countering that. The answer is to lead a low trump at
trick two! Opening Lead: ♦2
What can the defenders do now? If West wins with the queen and crosses to his partner’s
hand with a heart to receive a diamond ruff, you can draw trump when you regain the
lead. If instead West ducks the first round of trump, you can duck another round. West has
to win his queen this time and can do nothing to harm you. Whether he plays a club, or
plays two rounds of hearts to force dummy to ruff, you will be able to draw his remaining
trumps and run the diamond suit.
The message: When you can afford to lose a trump trick, lose it at a time when the
defenders can do you no harm.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: The question is whether you
South Holds: should lead trump to stop heart ruffs, or
♠52 diamonds to prevent declarer from
♥AJ62 discarding his diamond losers on clubs. My
♦986 instincts are that my club stopper should be
♣ Q 10 4 2 good enough to prevent declarer from
running the clubs, so I should kill the ruffs
South West North East while I can. I would therefore lead a trump.
1♣ 1♦ 1♠
2♦ Pass Pass 2♥
Pass 2♠ All pass
“At Christmas play and make good cheer,

For Christmas comes but once a year.”
— Thomas Tusser
Dealer: South North

Since today is Christmas Day, I'm going to show a deal Vul: East- ♠8642
where East presented the opponents with a Christmas West ♥ A 10 9 5
♦ A 10 4
present. Put yourself in his position to see if you can do ♣32
better. West East
♠J93 ♠AK75
You might argue that East followed a cowardly route in the ♥— ♥KJ3
♦QJ93 ♦752
auction, but it did seem reasonable to think that the ♣KQJ954 ♣876
majority of his hand looked wasted on offense. As you can South
♠ Q 10
see, though, the favorable lies in spades and diamonds ♥Q87642
meant that four clubs would have crawled home. ♦K86
♣ A 10
Against three hearts, partner leads the club king, and you
discourage, suggesting an odd number. Declarer wins and 1♥ 2♣ 2♥ 2 NT
leads a heart to the ace, partner pitching the club four. 3♥ All pass
Then comes a second heart on which partner pitches the
club nine. What now? Opening Lead: ♣K
At the table East missed the point altogether here. Partner’s low club spots (remember he
started life with six clubs to the K-Q-J so he doesn’t have many small clubs!) must suggest
suit preference for diamonds. Since you may need to lead diamonds through twice, start
now.
At the table East reverted to clubs and West could do nothing but return a spade, letting
East exit with a third heart. But declarer won the heart queen and led out the spade
queen. Now he had time to take advantage of the fall of the spade intermediates to set up
the spade eight for the discard of a diamond: nine tricks made.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: With three decent trump you do
South Holds: not have to be over-intellectual and
♠ Q 10 reconstruct the 52-card diagram in your
♥Q87642 head. Simply raise partner to three
♦K86 diamonds and let the chips fall where they
♣ A 10 may. Whenever you have trump support you
should have it as your first priority to let
South West North East partner know that, rather than finding a
1♣ reason to pass.
1♥ 1 NT 2♦ 3♣
?
“All we know is still infinitely less than all that still remains unknown.”
— William Harvey
Dealer: East North

Despite your opponents bidding and raising spades, you Vul: Both ♠876
still manage to find your way to the heart game. ♥KQ
♦AQ652
Incidentally, do you like your partner's decision to drive to ♣J83
four hearts? I do. North knew you had made a vulnerable West East
♠ K Q 10 ♠AJ432
overcall on a suit headed by at most one top honor, so
♥82 ♥543
you had to have at least six cards in the suit, with ♦ 10 9 7 3 ♦KJ
approximately opening values. Therefore, bidding game ♣ 10 7 6 2 ♣K54
South
was a sensible decision. ♠95
♥ A J 10 9 7 6
Not surprisingly West leads the spade king, then the ♦84
♣AQ9
queen and continues with a spade to East’s ace, which
you ruff. When you draw trump you find East has three. South West North East
How do you virtually guarantee your contract now? 1♠
2♥ 2♠ 4♥ All pass
It looks reasonable to try the minor-suit finesses, but if you
do so, you can guarantee that the diamond finesse will Opening Lead: ♠K
lose – after all, what did east open on. Now you will be
reduced to the very slim chance of the club king falling in two rounds to make your game.
There is a much better approach, based on the fact that East is known to have eight cards
in the majors along with both minor-suit kings. Simple arithmetic demands that he must
have either a singleton or doubleton king in one of those suits. So duck a diamond
completely. Ruff the spade return, then on the next diamond, rise with the ace. Either
East’s king will fall or he must have king singleton or doubleton in clubs, so you can pick
up that suit without loss.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your partner has made a slam-
South Holds: try, suggesting short clubs and huge
♠876 diamond support. When the opponents
♥KQ compete to five clubs a double from you
♦AQ652 should suggest real defense to clubs not just
♣J83 a minimum opener (switch the heart queen
and club three perhaps). Since a pass by
South West North East you would be forcing it feels right to rebid
1♦ 2♣ 4♣ 5♣ five diamonds – suggesting good trump and
?
low slam interest.
“I am glad daylong for the gift of song,

For time and change and sorrow;
For the sunset wings and the world-end things
Which hang on the edge of to-morrow.”
— William Braithwaite
Dealer: South North

In Scotland's match against the Netherlands in the 2002 Vul: North- ♠ A 10 6 3
European Championships, Derek Diamond opened with South ♥ J 10 7 4
♦A53
two hearts to show a weak two-suiter reached four hearts ♣64
in two bids, and froze the opponents out altogether. West East
♠K74 ♠J982
♥96 ♥A8
When Jan Jansma led the club king, Louk Verhees
♦ J 10 9 ♦K6
contributed the nine, using upside-down signals. With ♣ A K 10 7 3 ♣QJ952
declarer known to have 10 cards in two suits, he was South
♠Q5
trying to show his five-card suit. (By contrast the play of ♥KQ532
the club queen would have suggested a high card in ♦Q8742
♣8
spades.)
When Jansma misread the position and played another 2♥ Pass 4♥ All pass
club, Diamond ruffed, then played a heart to the jack.
Verhees took his ace and returned his second trump. Opening Lead: ♣K
Declarer continued with ace and another diamond. In with
the king, East returned a spade. South was sure, from the lack of a spade switch at trick
two, that West held the king, so he played low and brought home his contract.
If West switches to a diamond at trick two, he should defeat the contract. Does declarer
have any chance? Yes – but not a good one: he does best to rise with dummy’s ace,
followed by leading the heart jack, trying to look like a man about to take a trump finesse.
If this fools East into playing low, declarer can ruff out the clubs and endplay East to lead
spades for him. However, East does best to rise with the heart ace, cash his diamond
king, then return a trump. He thus avoids the endplay, and leaves South with a spade
loser.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Your partner's double is take-out,
South Holds: even though you have shown both majors
♠ A 10 6 3 already. He rates to have extras, probably
♥ J 10 7 4 without a four-card major, but you do not
♦A53 have to second-guess what he has. When
♣64 you bid two hearts you expect him to
advance with a descriptive call, be it a club
South West North East bid, a cue-bid or a bid in no-trump. So leave
1♣ 1♦ him space to tell you what he has.
Dbl. 2♦ Dbl. Pass
?
“Which of us … is to do the hard and dirty work for the rest — and for what pay? Who is to
do the pleasant and clean work, and for what pay?”
— John Ruskin
Dealer: North North

In today's deal the bidding wound its way to six diamonds Vul: North- ♠AJ
by South, when South elected not to make a simple rebid South ♥A732
♦K43
of three no-trump over two no-trump. Instead, he repeated ♣AK42
his diamonds and North cooperated once, then went all West East
♠Q8763 ♠ K 10 9 2
the way to slam when South indicated suitability for higher
♥ Q 10 ♥J854
things by going to the four-level. ♦8 ♦Q65
♣98765 ♣J3
Against the slam West found the best lead: the spade six. South
♠54
Declarer won with dummy’s ace, and it was clear to him ♥K96
that if the diamond queen fell in two rounds, he could ♦ A J 10 9 7 2
♣ Q 10
discard a loser on the third round of clubs, ultimately
losing just one heart trick. South West North East
1♣ Pass
Care had to be taken though, to preserve entries to the 1♦ Pass 2 NT Pass
North hand, should diamonds misbehave. Accordingly, 3♦ Pass 4♦ Pass
4♥ Pass 6♦ All pass
declarer played a diamond to the ace, then the seven to
the king, carefully conserving the trump two. When the Opening Lead: ♠6
queen did not drop, it now became necessary for the club
suit to provide four tricks, for both a spade and a heart discard.
Since the lead was in dummy, where it needed to be, a small club was led and the 10 was
successfully finessed. The club queen was cashed and dummy re-entered with the heart
ace. The club ace came next, on which the spade loser was discarded, and although East
ruffed the third club with the master trump, declarer could re-enter dummy with the
thoughtfully-preserved diamond two to North’s four, so that the heart loser could be
pitched on the remaining high club.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: At any vulnerability this is a
South Holds: reasonable example of a maximum weak
♠54 two-bid. When you have a 10-count, you will
♥K96 typically not upgrade to a one-level opening
♦ A J 10 9 7 2 unless you have a 6-4 hand pattern. With an
♣ Q 10 11-count, look at your controls and whether
your honors are guarded. If you have an ace
South West North East and king, and no singleton honors, open at
Pass the one-level.
?
“Civility costs nothing and buys everything.”

— Lady Mary Wortley Montagu
Dealer: West North

One of the stronger bridge players in the country for the Vul: East- ♠98543
last 30 years has been Eddie Wold. He is currently fourth West ♥ 10
♦AQJ642
on the ACBL's list of all-time masterpoint winners, with ♣7
more than 50,000 masterpoints, and he has won all the West East
♠76 ♠AJ2
major U.S. titles at least once.
♥KQ865 ♥J972
♦ 10 7 3 ♦K9
In today’s deal he lured declarer on a sequence where ♣J82 ♣Q965
North had transferred into spades, then offered the choice South
♠ K Q 10
of games. ♥A43
♦85
Four spades looked comfortable enough, at first glance. ♣ A K 10 4 3
The opening lead was the heart king, and declarer won to
take the diamond finesse. Wold ducked his diamond king Pass Pass Pass
smoothly, then ducked again when a spade was led from 1 NT Pass 2♥ Pass
dummy. 2♠ Pass 3 NT Pass
4♠ All pass
Declarer won the spade king, cashed the club ace, and
Opening Lead: ♥K
ruffed a club to lead another spade. Wold won the spade
ace and led a heart for dummy to ruff. Declarer now picked up the last trump with his
spade queen, denuding everyone of trumps. He then confidently cashed the club king and
led a diamond, finessing the jack when West followed low. Only now did Wold produce the
diamond king, and East-West took the rest of the tricks with the club queen and two good
hearts for plus 200.
Should declarer have done anything different? I hardly think so, but had Wold taken the
first diamond, declarer would surely have brought home 10 tricks, either by finessing the
spade 10 at once, or by ruffing hearts to dummy twice to play spades toward his hand.
BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Once your partner passes one
South Holds: heart, you have no reason to assume that
♠AJ2 your side can make game. (North rates to
♥J972 have 10-13 points and three hearts or so.)
♦K9 You should simply bid one no-trump now,
♣Q965 and let partner pass or correct to whatever
strain he considers appropriate.
Pass Pass 1♦ Pass
1♥ Pass Pass 1♠
?
ANSWER: I'm glad you are not apportioning

blame here, since both treatments make
Dear Mr. Wolff: sense. On balance I think you will have the
I see the use of the term "cue-bid" in your responsive double more often, and the key is
columns, but frequently the player making that when you DO have the trump stack, you
the call has no control in the opponent's suit may still catch the opponents when the
at all! Has the meaning of the term suffered balancing hand has enough for a second
from inflation the same way my pension takeout double.
has?
— Harry Lime, Olympia, Wash. Dear Mr. Wolff:
When you are playing pairs, what is the right
ANSWER: In slam-going auctions, cuebids way to treat eight-counts or nine-counts
still show controls in the suits bid — though facing a strong no-trump? Do you invite on
nowadays they may show first- or second- all eight-counts, and do you drive to game
round control. In contested auctions, the with all nines?
ubiquity of weak jump raises forces players — Hope Springs, Laredo, Texas
to cuebid as an indication of high cards,
unlinked to values in the opponents' suit bid.
Equally, when you are in a game-force, such
cuebids — especially if they are below three ANSWER: Balanced eight-counts without
no-trump — often ask rather than tell. That is two majors should probably be passed,
the easiest way to reach no-trump when it is unless the intermediates are very good.
correct. Similarly, do not drive a nine-count to game
unless there is a source of tricks. Going plus
at pairs is vital, and Stayman gives the
opponents a lot of information to work with
Dear Mr. Wolff: — so be chary of betraying too much without
My partner and I have been discussing the a good reason.
purpose of a discarding system. Should we
be using our signals or discards as
instructions or should we be describing what Dear Mr. Wolff:
is in our hand and letting partner take it from
there? Here is a problem my opponents had last
week. (I might have fallen into the same
— Descriptive or Prescriptive?, Santa trap.) My RHO held ♠ 5, ♥ Q-10-4-3, ♦ A-Q-
Monica, Calif. 8-5-4, ♣ A-K-2. He doubled one spade and
heard me raise to four spades, doubled by
his partner. He had no special agreements
ANSWER: I'm strongly of the opinion that here. Would you think it right to bid or pass,
the best methods of discarding are and if you do bid, what would you say?
informative, not issuing commands. — Spruce Goose, Dayton, Ohio
Frequently, though, discards involve telling
partner which suits not to play. And if you do
send a strong signal to play a suit, it is
generally because you know what is right. ANSWER: Unless at unfavorable
Count and suit-preference signals tend to be vulnerability, I'd bid four no-trump,
more discreet messages, advisory, not suggesting a two-suited hand and planning
prescriptive. to correct a five-club response to five
diamonds to show the red suits. I play my
partner's double as suggesting that I defend
unless I have extra shape — and I think this
Dear Mr. Wolff: hand just about qualifies as being worth a
Recently we had a disaster where I bid. One should not double four spades on a
reopened over an opening of one heart with weak hand with a trump stack. Wait for
a double, and my LHO reraised himself to partner to reopen with a double.
two hearts. When my partner doubled, he
meant it as penalty, but I thought he was
asking me to bid a suit. Can you recommend
a treatment for us in future and provide a
rationale for why one method is better than
the other?
— Shoeless Joe, Edmonton, Alberta
The Aces on Bridge: Monday, December 31st, 2012
“I am a part of all that I have met;

Yet all experience is an arch where through
Gleams that untraveled world, whose margin fades
For ever and for ever when I move.”
— Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Dealer: East North

Good technique was rewarded on this deal, where the Vul: Neither ♠K6
field reached three no-trump on a heart lead. ♥A63
♦K84
♣QJ974
The auction put West on lead with an easy choice of the West East
heart 10. With the heart suit lying as it does, it is ♠3 ♠A9752
♥ Q 10 9 4 2 ♥J7
necessary to consider your first move carefully. If the heart
♦J65 ♦Q73
suit splits 4-3, it is irrelevant whether you win the first or ♣ A 10 5 2 ♣863
second round of the suit. But as the cards lie, look at what South
♠ Q J 10 8 4
happens if you take the first heart and drive out the spade ♥K85
ace (it is clearly more attractive to go after spades ♦ A 10 9 2
♣K
because of the intermediates in that suit, though playing
on clubs might work, as the cards lie). South West North East
Pass
When East takes the spade ace and returned the heart 1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass
jack, West overtakes and can clear the suit while retaining 2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass
the club ace as an entry. Once spades do not behave, you
are very short of tricks, and will have to let West in to cash Opening Lead: ♥4
out his hearts.
By contrast, if you duck the first heart and win the second in hand, then drive out the
spade ace, East will have no hearts left to lead, and will have to exit passively, letting you
drive out the club ace at your leisure.
Ducking trick one makes the difference between an undertrick and an overtrick.
LEAD WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Despite the fact that your partner
South Holds: has bid and rebid hearts, I don't think you
♠Q5 have to lead the heart ace here. Your partner
♥A43 could easily be competing on a hand with
♦ J 10 8 5 4 five hearts and extra side-suit shape, or a
♣ 10 4 3 weak six-card suit. With a decent alternative
in the form of your diamond sequence, I
South West North East think you should opt for that.
1♥ 1♠
2♥ 2♠ 3♥ 3♠
All pass

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The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, January 1st, 2012

by Bobby Wolff on January 15th, 2012

Dear Mr. Wolff: Dear Mr. Wolff:

Dear Mr. Wolff: Dear Mr. Wolff:

Dear Mr. Wolff:

ANSWER: If you use the term to mean that

Dealer: South North

LEAD WITH THE ACES

“All strange and terrible events are welcome,

Dealer: West North

a minor, leaving South with a loser in each of the side-

BID WITH THE ACES

“Yours is the shame and sorrow

Dealer: North North

BID WITH THE ACES

“Alas, regardless of their doom,

Dealer: South North

BID WITH THE ACES

Dealer: South North

BID WITH THE ACES

South West North East

Dealer: East North

BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: After a negative response of two

Dealer: South North

LEAD WITH THE ACES

Dealer: West North

guessed well by playing a spade. (On a club shift declarer

BID WITH THE ACES

“Choose your neighbors before you buy your house.”

Dealer: West North

BID WITH THE ACES

“First ponder, then dare!”

Dealer: East North

BID WITH THE ACES

“Nothing is so good as it seems beforehand.”

Dealer: North North

BID WITH THE ACES

“The words of wise men who are skilled

Dealer: West North

BID WITH THE ACES

ANSWER: Depending on vulnerability, you

“All men think all men mortal, but themselves.”

Dealer: South North

LEAD WITH THE ACES

South West North East

Dealer: North North

BID WITH THE ACES

“Unskilled the fowler who his snare reveals:

Dealer: South North

BID WITH THE ACES

“Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard

Dealer: West North

BID WITH THE ACES

“How very weak the very wise,

Dealer: West North

BID WITH THE ACES

“When I consider life, 'tis all a cheat,

Dealer: West North