FRANK STEWART BRIDGE

TEST YOUR DECEPTION

This week’s deals have treated deceptive defensive play. To see if you’re a devious defender, cover the West and South cards, and defend as East.

Against 3NT, West leads the jack of hearts. South wins with the queen and leads the nine of spades: three, eight ... how do you operate?

If you take the queen and return a heart, South will win (the deck doesn’t have enough points for West to have A-J-10x-x) and see that he needs an extra club trick. He will take the ace, finesse with dummy’s jack and make two overtricks. Shift If instead you take the queen of spades and shift to the king of diamonds, South may take the ace, finesse in clubs and win five clubs, three hearts and a diamond.

A deceptive defense is to win the first spade with the ace (!) and lead the king of diamonds. South will win and see three spades — repeating the finesse — three hearts and two clubs. He may cash the K-A of clubs, and when no queen falls, he will lead a spade to dummy’s jack. Two down.

Daily Question

You hold: ♠ AQ4 ♥ 7 6 2 ♦ K Q 10 9 7

♣ 5 2. Your partner opens one club, you respond one diamond and he bids one heart. What do you say?

Answer: You have the values to invite game, balanced pattern and a doublestopper in the unbid suit, hence jump to 2NT, invitational. If your side is vulnerable, you might reasonably take a chance and bid 3NT. If you can use your diamonds, you may take nine tricks. Otherwise, you may not take eight. South dealer

N-S vulnerable