BRIDGE

A woman’s cat is stuck in a tree, and she calls the fire department for help. The fire chief listens, then asks, “How do we get there?”

The voice on the other end asks timidly, “Don’t you still have that big red truck?”

In today’s deal, West led the queen of spades against four hearts, and South took dummy’s ace and cashed the A-K of trumps hopefully. Alas, West discarded, and South was sunk. He had to lose two spades and a club plus a trump to East’s queen.

South needed to find a way to reach that big red king of diamonds in dummy so he could use it to discard a loser. At Trick Two, South can lead a trump and finesse with his 10.

If West held the queen, the defense could cash two spades, but South could win a club shift, unblock the ace of diamonds, draw trumps with the ace and jack, and pitch his club loser on the king of diamonds.

As the cards lie, South’s trump finesse wins, and he still makes game, losing three black-suit tricks but not a trump.

Question: You hold: ♠ A7 4 ♥ J32 ♦ KJ42 ♣ 532.The dealer, at your left, opens one club. Your partner doubles, you respond one diamond and he bids one heart. What do you say?

Answer: If partner had minimum opening values with a five-card heart suit, he would have overcalled one heart at his first turn. When he doubles before bidding his suit, he promises a hand worth a trick or more above minimum. Since you have nine good points, raise to four hearts.