Daily Bridge Club

He mentored well

By FRANK STEWART

“I’m in the club’s mentor-mentee program,” a new player told me. “I know most mentors are earnest and capable, but the one I got is a tormentor.”

Our newbie was West. At four spades, South took the ace of hearts and led the four of diamonds.

“I played low,” West said. “Dummy’s ten lost to my partner’s king, and he led a trump. Declarer took the ace and led another diamond. I won and shifted to a club, but declarer took the ace and threw two clubs on the high diamonds. Making four.

“My mentor said I must put up my ace on the first diamond to lead a club. That was beyond me. Isn’t ‘second hand low’ the rule?”

NOT EASY

The winning defense wasn’t easy for a beginner. East-West need a club trick plus two diamonds and a trump. If East has the king of clubs, a club shift must come from West — before South sets up dummy’s diamonds for discards.

Mentor programs are beneficial — if the mentor knows his limitations and doesn’t try to teach beyond his level of expertise.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: ♠ 2 ♥ K J 10 6 4 ♦ K 96 ♣ K 10 6 2. Your partner

opens one diamond, you respond one heart and he bids one spade. What do you say?

ANSWER: If you treat a bid of a new suit by responder at his second turn as not forcing to game, you can bid two clubs. Then, if partner rebids, say, two diamonds, you can raise to three diamonds. But if you are unwilling to risk a misunderstanding on such an auction, jump to 2NT, inviting game, or bid a conservative 1NT. South dealer Both sides vulnerable