The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, 25 February 2026
The Aces on Bridge: Wednesday, 25 February 2026
Mysteries abound where most we seek for answers.
Ray Bradbury
Can you visualize a hand where you start by raising to the two-level, only to compete to the five-level one round later without any encouragement? That is what Michael Kamil did for the Wolfson team in the finals of the 2025 USA1 Senior Trials, with this North hand, and it worked very well. Mind you, it might not have succeeded as well as it did.
Five hearts was doubled, of course. Declarer Jeff Meckstroth ruffed the diamond lead and then played a trump from dummy, East correctly inserting the jack to keep control. Meckstroth won with the king but could not afford to play a second trump lest the defenders draw trumps and cash a diamond, so he started cashing clubs. East ruffed the second round, and now the contract could not be beaten. East could not continue diamonds safely from his side, so Meckstroth won the spade return and gave up a trump. A heart remained on the table to handle a diamond force.
It is hard to see, perhaps, but East should discard on the second club, keeping his top trumps. If declarer continues clubs, West can ruff with his small trump and continue diamonds for two down. South would have to give up and revert to trumps to escape for minus 200.
Credit to West, Doug Doub, for finding the only lead to trouble declarer, but at least he suffered a loss of just 3 international match points when North-South played in the unbeatable five clubs doubled next door. Maybe North should have tried that en route to five hearts if he was going to bid.
Barry Rigal
Barry Rigal is an English-born bridge player, author, commentator, and journalist who has won major national titles in both the UK and the United States and served as a VuGraph commentator for decades at European and World championships. He has written and edited numerous bridge books and articles and has been President of the International Bridge Press Association, contributing widely to the game’s literature and education.
Opening Lead: Diamond four



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