Daily Bridge Club

Key question

Johann Sebastian Bach was best known in his lifetime as an organist. When his skill was praised, Bach said dismissively that the organ was easy to play: Hit the right keys at the right time, and it played itself.

Dummy play is like that: easy if you play the cards in the correct order. At today’s 3NT, dummy’s queen won the first spade, and South led a diamond to his ace and a club to the king.

On a lucky day, he might have made overtricks, but East took the ace and returned a spade. South won, ran the diamonds and took the queen of clubs, but the defense had the rest. Down one.

NINE TRICKS

South wouldn’t have made much of an organist. He should lead dummy’s low heart at Trick Two. If East rises with the ace, South has nine tricks. If East plays low, South wins and leads a club to assure nine tricks.

If West had the ace of hearts, he could capture South’s king but couldn’t continue spades effectively. Even if he returned a heart, South would make 3NT.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: ♠ AJ6 ♥ K 10 4 2 ♦ AJ ♣ 8 5 3 2. You open one club, your partner bids one heart, you raise to two hearts and he tries 2NT. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner’s 2NT is a try for game. He has about 11 points, balanced, and thinks the nine-trick game might be best, especially since you might have raised with threecard support and a suitable hand. You have four-card support but minimum values, hence sign off at three hearts. North dealer N-S vulnerable