DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

“How’d your visit to your psychiatrist go?” I asked Cy the Cynic. “I told him I’ve been hearing voices,” Cy said, “and sometimes I even argue with them. He said that isn’t abnormal. It’s when you start to lose the arguments that you’re in trouble.” Every bridge player occasionally hears a little voice urging him toward a bid or play that is unsound. In today’s deal, West led a trump against four spades, and declarer must have heard a voice imploring him to finesse since he played low from dummy. East took the king and led the jack of diamonds. South won, drew trumps and led a heart to dummy’s king. East took the A-Q, and the defense also got a diamond. Down one. Diamond discard: South shouldn’t have listened. He must take the ace of trumps, gaining time, and lead a heart from dummy. East can take the queen and shift to diamonds, but South wins and leads his jack of hearts to set up dummy’s king for a diamond discard. South also succeeds if West has the ace of hearts.

Daily question

You hold: ♠ QJ1096 ♥ J2 ♦ K32 ♣ A 5 2. Your partner opens one heart, you respond one spade, he rebids two hearts and you try 2NT. Partner then bids three diamonds. What do you say? Answer: Your partner’s bidding suggests six hearts, four diamonds and minimum opening values. Bid three hearts. If he has 4, K Q 10 8 6 3, A Q 5 4, 4 3, a contract of four hearts will be an underdog. If your hand wereA10653,J2,J104,AJ2,you could justify a jump to four hearts. North dealer Both sides vulnerable