Staging a rally

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

It used to be that when someone missed the stagecoach, he waited patiently for a few days until the next one arrived. Now we get frustrated if we miss a turn at a revolving door.

Against four spades, West led the jack of hearts. South promptly put up dummy’s ace; to finesse with the queen looked fruitless. He drew trumps, but when he led his last heart to the queen, East won and shifted to clubs. West got two clubs and also a diamond. Down one.

FIRST HEART

South should have waited for the next stage. On the first heart, he must play dummy’s three.

Say West shifts to a trump. South draws trumps, leads a heart to the ace and returns the queen for a ruffing finesse. He ruffs East’s king, goes to the king of diamonds and discards a club on the ten of hearts, losing a heart, a diamond and a club.

East couldn’t gain by overtaking with the king of hearts at Trick One to lead a club. The defense would get two clubs, but South could discard two diamonds on dummy’s high hearts.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: ♠ J 10 7 3 ♥ A Q 10 3 ♦ K63 ♣ 8 6. Your partner opens one diamond, you respond one heart and he bids one spade. What do you say?

ANSWER: You have an eightcard spade fit and enough strength to invite game. (Your king of diamonds looks like a useful card.) Raise to three spades. If your queen of hearts were a low heart, you would settle for a chance-giving raise to two spades. If your jack of spades were the ace, you would bid four spades. South dealer

N-S vulnerable