DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

If you’ ve never tried duplicate bridge, you’re missing a treat. The American Contract Bridge League sponsors tournament play, including local club games. Duplicate helps you improve, measures your progress and lets you be part of a family of people who share a common interest. ( See acbl. org.)

At “matchpoint” duplicate, the same deals are played at many tables. The pairs who get the best results win. Say you’re declarer at today’s 3NT, and West leads the jack of spades: queen, king, ace. How will you win nine tricks?

You have a spade, a diamond, three hearts and three clubs. Try your chances for one more trick in the proper order. First take the top hearts. If hearts break 3- 3, dummy’s fourth heart is a winner.

When hearts break 4- 2, try the king, queen and ace of clubs. A 3- 3 break will make your fourth club good, and you can come to your ace of diamonds to cash it. If clubs fail to break evenly, dummy has the lead, and you can fall back on a diamond finesse. DAILY QUESTION You hold: - ner opens two clubs ( strong, artificial), you respond two diamonds ( negative or waiting), he bids two hearts and you raise to three hearts. Partner then bids three spades. What do you say?

ANSWER: Your hand could be worse. You have four trumps, a side ace and a probably useful queen. Partner’s three spades suggests slam; his hand is potent. Cue- bid four clubs. He may hold South dealer N- S vulnerable