QUICK CROSSWORD

Churchill said, “True genius resides in the capacity for evaluation of uncertain, hazardous and conflicting information.”

At the bridge table, rarely is hand evaluation based on hazardous and conflicting information — but it can be uncertain. Look at the South hand in today's diagram. How would you plan the auction?

This deal occurred at Bridge Base Online, with 14 tables in play. At 10 of them, South opened one diamond and rebid two diamonds after partner responded one heart. Yes, these contracts should have been made ( though sometimes were not), but that seems too cautious to me.

I am not fond of one- notrump openings with a six- card minor ( and never with a six- card major), because that extra length is likely to make the hand worth more tricks than normal. I felt this South hand was worth nearer 18 points than 16. However, I just checked the KaplanRubens system and got 15.6. I was not downgrading the major- suit holdings the way that method does.

I opened one diamond, and after partner responded one heart, I jumped to two no- trump. Understandably, partner raised to game.

West led the spade seven. East took that trick and shifted to a heart. I won with the queen, crossed to the heart king and played three rounds of diamonds. West shifted back to spades, and if East had won and continued the suit, I would have lost three spades and two diamonds. However, East switched to a club. When the finesse worked, I conceded another diamond and claimed.

I had overvalued my hand, but got lucky — that's bridge quite often. Copyright United Feature Syndicate ( Asia Features)