ACES ON BRIDGE
Expert Kit Woolsey is a world-class bridge and backgammon player, well known for having strong opinions about everything … and he is generally right! Look at this deal from last year’s Silodor Open Pairs qualifying, where Woolsey was defending with Bart Bramley (who was inducted into the Hall of Fame last year).
North’s decision to double initially might have led him to sell out next to two spades, having shown his hand. But he did have hopes of finding values or a suit opposite — and in a sense, he did.
On this auction, Woolsey believed that a spade lead away from the king would be far more dangerous than the diamond king lead, because even if a spade hit partner with the ace or queen, he might still be establishing a discard for declarer on the third round of the suit. Conversely, if partner had the diamond ace or diamond queen, the diamond king lead might strike gold. And even if he did not, it might still break even.
So Woolsey led the diamond king, which was won in dummy. A low trump ran to Woolsey’s ace. A diamond to the queen was followed by a low diamond from Bramley (suit preference). Woolsey ruffed and exited with a low club. Dummy’s king won the trick, but when declarer played another trump, Bramley grabbed the king, played his remaining club to Woolsey’s ace and got a club ruff. They had a spade trick to come as well, so the defenders collected 300 and a cold top for this vicious defense.
ANSWER: Pass; it is time to get off the bus. You have no reason to expect your side can make a game, given that partner did not jump to two hearts. As a result, if you keep the auction open, the last thing you want is for partner to bid on.Although passing might let West into the auction cheaply, he may have nowhere to go, and you are surely in a decent strain at the right level.
And now the matchless deed’s achieved Determined, dared and done. — Christopher Smart