DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

“Magic Mirror on the wall,” intoned the evil queen, “who is the best player of them all?”

“Thou, O queen, art a player most rare,” the Mirror replied nervously, “but according to the most recently available masterpoint totals, Snow White is best. After all, I taught her the game myself.”

“What?” raged the queen. “We’ll see about that.”

The next castle tournament pitted Snow White, Doc, Grumpy and Happy against the queen’s foursome, which included three imported professionals, in the final match. Today’s deal decided the outcome. Both North-South pairs reached a good contract of six spades; both Wests led the jack of hearts.

When the evil queen was declarer, she took the ace of hearts, got her king of clubs out of the way, cashed the king of hearts and ruffed a heart in dummy. She discarded her diamond loser on the ace of clubs and next led the queen — but East ruffed.

Declarer overruffed but still had a low heart to worry about. She took the ace of trumps and led the heart, but West ruffed in with his nine of trumps. His king won the setting trick.

Snow White found a winning line of play: At Trick Two she led the queen of trumps. West took his king and returned a trump; no other defense was better. Snow White won, took her king of clubs and king of hearts and ruffed a heart in dummy. She discarded her diamond loser and last heart on the A-Q of clubs and took the rest.

Making six, and Snow White’s team won the tournament. Her careful play reflected well, shall I say, on her mentor the Magic Mirror.