BRIDGE

Quiet, please!

UNLUCKY Louie and I went by the local library. He returned a book on human anatomy.

“It didn’t have an appendix,” Louie told me blandly.

The young librarian was pregnant, looking as if she could deliver any minute.

“Do you suppose she’s overdue?” Louie wondered. “Maybe she’ll have to pay a fine.”

Louie could use a book on dummy play. As declarer at five diamonds, he took the ace of hearts, led a trump to his ace and returned a spade: deuce, king, ace. East cashed his king of hearts and led a trump.

LAST TRUMP

Louie drew trumps, took the A-K of clubs and ruffed a club with dummy’s last trump. East discarded, so though Louie could pitch a club on the queen of spades, he still had a club to lose. Down one.

Louie’s play was delinquent. After he takes the ace of trumps, he can lead the A-K and a third club, pitching dummy’s heart loser. Then he can ruff a fourth club with the queen of trumps, setting up his fifth club, and deal with his second heart as well.

DAILY QUESTION: You hold: ♠ KQ7 54 ♥A 6 ♦ Q653 ♣ 7 5. Your partner opens one heart, you bid one spade and he rebids two hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: Your partner promises six or more hearts. If his pattern were, say, 3-5-2-3, he could have bid 1NT or raised to two spades at his second turn. With a four-card minor, he could have bid it. You have enough values to invite game, and your indicated action is a raise to three hearts.

South dealer Both sides vulnerable