Fall Championship by the Bay
In December, the ACBL staged its Fall Championships in San Francisco, a marvelous site though a long trip for some. The cost of attending a 10-day NABC remains prohibitive for many players.
The ageless Eddie Kantar, whose writing has entertained and enlightened players for eight decades, was on hand for a book signing. For years Eddie has contributed an instructional column to NABC Daily Bulletins.
In today’s deal, South takes the ace of hearts and can stake his club slam on a spade finesse (which would end the play quickly). Kantar notes that South must instead try to set up dummy’s fifth diamond.
South proceeds thus: ace of diamonds, diamond ruff, trump to dummy, diamond ruff. When EastWest follow, South leads a trump to dummy and ruffs a diamond. He goes to the ace of spades to pitch a spade on the good fifth diamond, concedes a heart and ruffs his last heart in dummy.
If diamonds broke 4-3 (or if trumps broke 3-0), South could fall back on the spade finesse.
DAILY QUESTION: You hold: ♠ 98 ♥ 1086 ◆ J
♣ AQ108765.Youdeal and open three clubs. Your partner bids three hearts. The opponents pass. What do you say?
ANSWER: Partner’s bid is forcing. For him to act with a good suit but nothing more would make no sense since your preempt promised a strong suit. Your hand couldn’t be better for a heart contract; you have an ace and a side singleton. Bid four hearts or, if partner will understand, cue-bid four diamonds.
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San Francisco’s __ Valley Diplomatic VIP NBA tiebreakers Sports team swaps Attributed speaker of the circled words Medical suffix Sentry’s “Stop!” Swiss peak in an Eastwood film title
Eye part 67 Oil cartel letters 68 Iced tea wedge 69 Icelandic poetic work
70 PC repair person 71 Avec’s opposite
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3 4 5 6
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12 14
21
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Suffers from One of an inning’s three Pitcher’s stat Soothing cream Carol kings Hoppy brews, for short Serious criminal Portmanteau for a false ally “Beat it, feline!” Is remembered Addictive narcotic
Oil cartel ship Started the grass-growing process
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35 36 40
41 43 44
45 46
Skip over Age-old roman- tic adage A single time “__ it my best” Graceful pond swimmer “That __ fair!” Fedora feature Great Plains tribe
Deli breads Pants, briefly Someone who’s good, and obviously knows it Skips, as class Tel Aviv’s land 47 48
53 55 57 58
59 63
64 65
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