Oshlag-Dahl win

Richard Oshlag had a terrific week at the Spring NABC. After placing in three events, Oshlag, playing with Mark Dahl, won the “Fast Pairs.” (No, the players didn’t forgo food those days; they 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 that would have been 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.

11TH TRICK

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 ten! Down two, minus 200, a fine result for EastWest.

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.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: ♠ A6 4 ♥ 10 8 2 ♦ AJ ♣K J 6 3 2. 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 as 5 3,K 9 4, K Q 10 7 6 3, A 4 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