Daily Bridge Club

When I watched today’s deal in my club’s penny game, South was the notorious Joe Overberry, who thinks it’s nobler to go down in pursuit of overtricks that to make his bid. That costs him — and his unfortunate partners — thousands of points.

Against Joe’s 3NT, West led a spade, and East correctly played the queen to preserve a link with his partner. Joe took his king, led a diamond to dummy’s ace and returned a diamond to his ten.

LAST SPADE

West gratefully took his queen and led the jack of spades. East put up his ace and returned his last spade, and West cashed three spades. Down one.

“The man goes down trying for overtricks when the correct play produces at least two of them,” North groaned.

After Joe wins the first trick, he can cash four clubs, then take the K-A of diamonds. When West’s queen falls, Joe is sure of 11 tricks. If instead East-West played low diamonds, dummy would have the lead, and Joe could try for his ninth trick by leading a heart to his queen.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: ♠ K 75 ♥ A Q 8 ♦ K 10 4 ♣ K J 6 5. Your partner opens one diamond. The next player passes. What do you say?

ANSWER: Bid 3NT, showing balanced pattern (but not with a fourcard major suit) and 15 to 17 highcard points. Experts tend to avoid this response because it consumes space and may hamper investigation for slam, but because it is quite descriptive, it can’t be all bad. The alternative — a go-slow response of two clubs — is not clearly better. South dealer

N-S vulnerable