Daily News

BRIDGE

- FRANK STEWART

CAUSE OF DEATH

I found Cy the Cynic at a corner table in the club lounge, writing an alimony check. Cy says that love is a quest, marriage is a conquest. Divorce? It’s the inquest. There was an inquest after today’s deal

— into the contract’s cause of death. As declarer at six spades, Cy won the trump opening lead with the ace, unblocked his king of hearts, led a trump to dummy and ruffed a heart high. He drew West’s last trump and took the ace of hearts. West discarded, so the Cynic conceded the fourth heart. When East led a club, Cy had to finesse. He went down when West had the king. You’re the coroner. What is your verdict?

Extra Entry

Cy needed an extra entry to dummy to set up the hearts safely. At Trick Three he leads the queen of clubs. If West wins and leads a second trump, Cy wins in dummy, ruffs a heart, goes to the jack of clubs and ruffs a heart.

The Cynic can then take the ace of diamonds, ruff a diamond, draw the missing trump and win the rest with good hearts and a trump.

Daily Question You hold:

♠ A K 4 3 ♥ K ♦ A9875 ♣ A Q 5. With neither side vulnerable, your partner deals and opens three hearts. What do you say?

Answer:

Much depends on your partner’s style. If he sticks to textbook preempts and will have a heart suit such as A-Q-J10-x-x-x, you can bid six hearts (after first bidding 4NT, Blackwood). But if partner is a modern obstructio­nist and indulges in light, undiscipli­ned preempts, better settle for four hearts.

South dealer E-W vulnerable

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