DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

“So I made a correct guess, for once,” Unlucky Louie grumbled, “and a lot of good it did me.”

In my club’s penny game, Louie was declarer at three hearts. When West, having competed with a spade bid, led the jack, Louie guessed to play low from dummy, placing East with the king because of his 1NT bid.

Louie took the ace and led a trump, and East won, cashed the king of spades and led a low diamond. When West took the king, he led another spade, and East ruffed dummy’s queen and cashed the ace of clubs. Down one.

“They could have made three spades,” Louie observed, looking for a silver lining. “If I put up the queen on the first spade, I have five sure losers.”

After his good guess at the first trick, Louie could make three hearts. All he had to do was break the defenders’ communication by leading a diamond at Trick Two. Louie’s play would have been right if West’s entry were the ace of trumps, but West was more likely to have one of the missing high diamonds. DAILY QUESTION You hold: partner opens one heart, you respond two clubs and he bids two diamonds. The opponents pass. What do you say?

ANSWER: would be reasonably descriptive, but I would be reluctant to suggest notrump with an uncertain spade stopper and no aces. Raise to three diamonds. “Support with support” is a sound principle. If partner bids again, you will still have a chance to get to 3NT. East dealer N- S vulnerable