Bridge

“Sometimes I wish people had a snooze button,” a club player grumbled to me, “especially people like my partner.”

My friend was today’s West and told me that his partner had complained about the defense and wouldn’t be shut off.

“I led a heart,” West said, “and my partner took the ace and returned the deuce to my jack. I shifted to a diamond, and declarer won and started the trumps. I won the second trump and led a third, but declarer drew trumps and had 10 tricks. My partner said I must have forgotten to set my alarm.” TRUMP TRICK West needed a wake-up call. Since East won’t have another high-card trick to contribute, West must try for a second trump trick -with a forcing defense. At Trick Three he leads a third heart, forcing dummy to ruff.

When South starts the trumps next, West ducks twice. If South leads a third trump -- he has no better play -- West wins and leads his last heart to force out South’s last trump. West wins the setting trick with his long trump.