Dreaded partners

In my club’s penny game, today’s North was the dreaded Grapefruit. He sits on his partners like a numerator on a denominator, badgering them constantly.

Against 3NT, West led the six of clubs, and South played low from dummy and took the queen. He cashed three high diamonds, but West threw a club. South next tried a heart to dummy’s nine.

East took the ten, cashed his high diamond and led a spade: four, queen, deuce. Declarer won the spade return and led the jack of clubs: king, ace. When East discarded, the ten won South’s eighth and last trick.

LEATHER

“Partner,” Grapefruit said, “if brains were leather, you wouldn’t have enough to saddle a fly.” “You’re nuts,” South flung back. Grapefruit told the kibitzers that South was a few sandwiches short of a picnic basket.

If West’s lead of the six was his fourth-highest club, he held K-9-8-6. (South could apply the “Rule of 11.”) If South correctly plays dummy’s seven on the first club, he gets his ninth trick.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: ♠ J 82 ♥ AJ9 ♦ 654 ♣ A 10 7 2. The dealer, at your left, opens one diamond. Your partner doubles, and the next player passes. What do you say?

ANSWER: You have enough values to jump to three clubs to invite game. (You might bid two clubs with no points at all.) But most players would want a longer suit to jump in clubs; partner might try 3NT next, hoping your “long” clubs would provide some winners. Bid two clubs and hope for another chance. South dealer N-S vulnerable