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“If I had a nickel for every time I had no idea what was going on, I’d be wondering why I was getting all those nickels.” — graffiti.
Bridge can give rise to complex situations. I recall times when I failed to grasp a deal’s subtleties until I was thinking about it in bed that night.
Today’s North-South bid to four spades, and West led the queen of clubs: king, ace. East shifted to the queen of hearts. South won, cashed the K-Q of trumps and led a club. West took his jack and led another heart, and declarer won, drew the missing trump with dummy’s ace and ran the clubs. Making four.
ENTRIES
The contract should have failed: East must let the king of clubs win. Then South lacks the entries to use the long clubs. He will lose only one club but also two diamonds and a heart.
It’s a complex deal: South always succeeds by playing low from dummy on the first club. If West shifts to a heart, South wins, takes the K-Q of trumps and leads a club to dummy’s ten effectively.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: S 9 6 5 H 9 5 D A 10 9 8 2 C Q J 8. Your partner opens one heart, you respond 1NT, he bids two clubs and you return to two hearts. Partner then bids three clubs. What do you say?
ANSWER: Partner’s three clubs shows five or more clubs and game interest. After your weak “false preference,” he wouldn’t bid again just to say he has extra club length. Your decision is close. Pass. But since you have a side ace, a raise to four clubs would be defensible.
South dealer
N-S vulnerable
NORTH
S A 7 2
H 6 4 3
D J 3
C K 10 9 7 5
WEST
S 9 6 5
H 9 5
D A 10 9 8 2
C Q J 8
EAST
S 8 4
H Q J 10 8
D Q 7 6 4
C A 4 3
SOUTH
S K Q J 10 3
H A K 7 2
D K 5
C 6 2
South West North East
1 S Pass 2 S Pass
3 S Pass 4 S All Pass
Opening lead — C Q
©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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