Bridge Play

“My husband’s passions are bridge and fishing,” a club player told me. “It’s a mystery how he can sit in a boat for hours waiting for a bite, but when we play bridge he has no patience at all.”

She was today’s East, and her husband led a heart against six spades. Declarer took the ace and led a trump to his king, and West took the ace and led another heart: jack, queen, ruff.

“South cashed one high trump,” East said, “then took the top diamonds, ruffed a diamond, led a club to his jack and ruffed a diamond. He returned a club to his king, drew the missing trump and won the last two tricks with good diamonds. I think my hubby should stick to fishing.”

FIRST TRUMP

South dealer N-S vulnerable

NORTH

♠ 8764

♥ AJ1032

♦ 10

♣ AQ10

WEST

♠ A32

♥ 765

♦ Q984

♣ 952

EAST

95 KQ98 73 87643

SOUTH

♠ KQJ10

♥ 4

♦ AKJ652

♣ KJ

West North Pass 1 ♥

Pass 3 ♠

Pass 5 ♥

All Pass

Opening lead — ♥ 7

East Pass Pass Pass

West swallowed the bait when he won the first trump. He must let South’s king win.

If South leads a second trump. West wins and leads a third trump. South can ruff only one diamond in dummy and loses a diamond. If South tries to set up the diamonds without leading a second trump, East scores her nine of trumps.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: ♠ 8764 ♥ AJ1032 ♦ 10 ♣ A Q 10. Your partner opens one diamond, you respond one heart and he bids two clubs. What do you say?

ANSWER: This problem is difficult; you have enough values to invite game but no good invitational call. Some experts might try 2NT despite the lack of a spade stopper; others might stretch to bid two spades, forcing to game. I would choose a raise to three clubs, pretending I have four-card support.