Good timing starts at first trick

“Time flies. It’s up to you to be the navigator.” — graffiti

When you’re declarer, making your contract may require timing the play correctly. Good timing starts at the first trick, but some players, alas, are inclined to play first and then think.

In today’s deal, South’s two clubs showed a gamegoing hand, which he certainly had, not necessarily with clubs. His leap to six spades was rash. How he expected to cope with his losing hearts is a mystery.

When West led the king of diamonds, South hastily took dummy’s ace to pitch his club loser. He then drew trumps — and cashed lots more trumps. West clung to his hearts, and South lost two hearts at the end.

South navigated off course at Trick One. He must play a low diamond from dummy and ruff in his hand. South draws trumps, takes the A-K of hearts and leads a club to dummy’s king.

East is helpless. If he plays low, South has 12 tricks. If East takes the ace, he must lead to dummy, yielding the slam.

DAILY QUESTION:

You hold: ♠ 42 ♥ 63

◆ A763 ♣ KQ1063. Your partner opens one spade, you respond 1NT and he bids two hearts. The opponents pass. What do you say?

ANSWER: If your hand were slightly stronger — you had a super-maximum 1NT response — you could bid 2NT to try for game. As it is, bid two spades. If your partner has extra strength, he can bid again. If he has a minimum, two spades on a 5-2 fit is likely to be your best contract.

ACROSS

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5 “Queen of Soul”

Franklin

11 Flow back,

as the tide

1 14 15 16 17

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17-, 28-, 45- and 60-Across 41 Novelist Rand 42 “The Simpsons”

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35 36

53

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DOWN

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18 23 estate listing Apply

Iron deficiency concern

Riga resident Guys

Fails to

Watched closely

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Put up with

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Gator’s kin

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40 44 __-out: exhausted Jack who played Quincy

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45

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Since Jan. 1

Previous Puzzle Solved

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