“My regular partnership consists of two people,” a reader’s letter states. “One never does anything right, and the other is my husband.”
My long-suffering fan was today’s West in a duplicate game at her club. She led the queen of hearts against four spades.
“Dummy’s king won,” my fan writes, “and declarer next led a diamond to his queen. I took the ace and was afraid he would discard clubs on dummy’s good diamonds, so I cashed the ace of clubs and led a second club. South took the king, lost to the ace of trumps and took the rest, making four.”
COUCH
“My husband, generous and gracious as he is, wondered out loud whether I would ever defend a contract correctly. He slept on the couch that night.”
My fan should have gotten this one right. If South had the ace of trumps, he could have come to his hand at the second trick to pitch a club from dummy on the ace of hearts. So West must lead a trump at Trick Three, and when East wins and leads a club, South goes down one.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: S A H 7 6 5 3 2 D 8 3 2 C Q 6 5 3. The dealer, at your left, opens one spade. Your partner doubles, and the next player bids two spades. What do you say?
ANSWER: Partner promises opening values or more and suggests support for all the unbid suit, especially the other major. Since your side has about half of the points and may have a nine-card heart fit, bid three hearts. In such a situation, it is generally correct to compete to the three level.
South dealer
N-S vulnerable
NORTH
S J 10 8 7 6 3
H K
D K J 10 4
C 10 4
WEST
S 2
H Q J 9 4
D A 7 6 5
C A J 7 2
EAST
S A
H 7 6 5 3 2
D 8 3 2
C Q 6 5 3
SOUTH
S K Q 9 5 4
H A 10 8
D Q 9
C K 9 8
South West North East
1 S Dbl 4 S All Pass
Opening lead — H Q
©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
