Bridge Play

South dealer

Both sides vulnerable

Another sign beside a church in my town:

“Adam and Eve were the first people who didn’t bother to read the Apple User Agreement.”

In today’s deal from a game in the Garden of Eden, Eve played at four spades. The

Serpent, West, led the queen of diamonds, and Eve took the king. She next succumbed to the temptation — as players often do — to draw trumps.

Eve next led a heart to finesse with dummy’s jack. East

(of Eden) took the ace, but when he returned a diamond to the ace, Eve was marooned in dummy. She led a club to her king, but then the defense got two clubs and a diamond. Down one. GRUMBLES

“We’ll be driven out of here if you keep playing like that,” Adam grumbled, “and I don’t mean in a limousine.”

Eve can take one high trump, then lead a heart to the jack. If East ducks, Eve draws trumps and leads a second heart to the ten. East wins, and the defense can take two clubs and lead a second diamond, but Eve wins and pitches her last diamond on the king of hearts.

DAILY QUESTION

NORTH 85 KJ102 A64 10642

WEST

63 Q743 QJ105 A83

EAST 1072 A96 972 QJ97

SOUTH AKQJ94 85

K83

K5

West North Pass 1NT Pass 4

Opening lead — Q

East Pass

All Pass

You hold: ♠ 63 ♥ Q743 ♦ QJ105 ♣ A 8 3. Your partner opens one club, the next player bids one spade and you double (negative). Your partner then bids two hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: Your double promised enough strength to respond, with heart length (but not a suitable hand to bid two hearts) and either diamonds or club support. Partner’s two hearts is not a strength-showing “reverse.” He has merely “raised” the suit your double promised. Pass.