QUICK CROSSWORD

Leno said, “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime. Teach a man to create an artificial shortage of fish and he will eat steak.”

Look at the South hand. After partner opens one spade, what would you do, given that a two- level response would be gameforcing?

In a team match, one South did not want to force to game with only 10 points and a void in partner's suit. So he responded one no- trump. If this had been forcing for one round, North would have rebid two clubs, leaving South awkwardly placed again. But this pair treated one no- trump as semiforcing, so North passed! How should the play have gone after West led the club king?

At the other table, South responded two hearts, hoping partner had some fit for one of his suits. ( South might have bid two diamonds, but by the time he would have shown his 5= 6, the auction would have been at the four- level.) Over two hearts, North bid three hearts, and South raised to game. How should he have played after the clubking lead?

In one no- trump, South took the third club with dummy’s ace, cashed the heart ace and ducked a heart to end with eight tricks: one spade, four hearts, two diamonds and one club.

In four hearts, declarer won with dummy's club ace, discarded his second club on the spade ace, played a diamond to his ace, returned to the heart ace and led another diamond. When East accurately discarded a spade, South won and ruffed a diamond. Although East overruffed and returned his last trump, South lost only one heart and two diamonds to gain 11 international match points. Copyright United Feature Syndicate

( Asia Features)