Big fit and controls suggest optimism

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE® GARFIELD® BIG NATE® ARLO & JANIS® ZITS®

Margery Allingham, an English detective novelist, wrote, “The optimism of a healthy mind is indefatigable.”

Bridge players have healthy minds, but they are not always optimistic. Look at the North hand in today’s diagram. Partner opens one spade, and righty overcalls two diamonds. What would you respond?

This deal was played 16 times at Bridge Base Online. Most Wests overcalled two diamonds, though a takeout double would have been reasonable. Then, pessimistically, numerous Norths bid only two spades. True, it was unlikely to be passed out, but why mislead partner so badly? North should have insisted on game and suggested a slam. Ideally, he would have made a threediamond cue-bid raise or a four-diamond splinter bid, showing a singleton or void in diamonds.

How should South play in six spades after West leads the diamond ace?

Declarer would like to try for three club tricks, but if East proves to have king- or queen-fourth, then South plays West for the heart queen and jack. However, when West gets in with his club royal, he can shift to a heart, forcing South to decide what to do before he knows about the exact club position.

Declarer ruffs the diamond and plays a club to his 10. Here, it loses to West’s king, and suppose West shifts to a heart. South wins on the board, draws trumps, ruffs his last diamond and plays a club. He plans to finesse, but when the queen appears, he can claim. Declarer takes five spades, two hearts, three clubs and two diamond ruffs. The odds in the club suit are an acceptable 60.7 percent.