BRIDGE

Richard Oshlag had a terrific week at the Spring NABC. After placing in three events, Oshlag, playing with Mark Dahl, won the “Fast Pairs.” (The players had 11 minutes to play two deals, not the usual 15.)

To win a national title, you must benefit from opponents’ errors. Oshlag, today’s West, led a club against three diamonds. (South couldn’t bear to pass North’s two spades, though a winning call.) South ruffed the second club and led a spade. Oshlag took his ace and led a high club, and South ruffed again.

South then led the king of trumps, and West won and led his last high club, ruffed. When South next tried the

A-K and a low heart, Dahl took the Q-J and, at Trick 11, led a trump. South ... finessed with his 10! Down two, minus 200, a fine result for East-West.

South’s trump finesse was wrong. If East had J-x left, he would have exited with a spade, not giving declarer a chance for a winning finesse.

Question: You hold: ♠ A6 4 ♥ 1082 ♦ AJ ♣ KJ632.Your partner opens one diamond, you respond two clubs and he rebids two diamonds. What do you say?

Answer: You must try hard to reach game. A minimum hand for partner such as53,K94,KQ10763,A4 will make 3NT unbeatable. A raise to three diamonds would be inadequate, and you shouldn’t bid notrump yourself with no stopper in hearts. Bid two spades, a forcing bid in a new suit, to probe for game. South dealer Both sides vulnerable