BRIDGE

Thursday, March 22

“I have no doubt,” Unlucky Louie told me, “that they’ll strike oil when they’re digging my grave.”

Louie attributes his bad results to bad luck, despite all the evidence to the contrary. When he was declarer at today’s six spades, West led a trump. Louie won and led a club at the second trick. When West won and led another trump, Louie had only 11 tricks. He tried a heart finesse with dummy’s queen, but when East produced the king, the result was down one.

“Without that trump lead,” Louie grumbled, “I could have ruffed two clubs in dummy.”

Louie could make the slam by setting up a long suit (my topic this week). After he wins the second trump, he leads a heart to dummy’s ace, ruffs a heart, ruffs a club and ruffs a heart.

When West discards, Louie draws the missing trump, overtakes his king of diamonds with the ace and ruffs a heart. He gets back to dummy with the queen of diamonds to discard his last two clubs on the good hearts at Tricks 12 and 13. DAILY QUESTION:

You hold: ♠ 4 ♥ K J 10 8 ◆ 10 8 6 3 ♣ A Q 10 5. The dealer, at your left, opens one spade, and two passes follow. What do you say?

ANSWER: If right-hand opponent had opened one spade, some players would double. Others would want more in high cards. In the “balancing” position, though, to double is clear. You may have a game, and you mustn’t let the opponents buy the deal cheaply when your partner surely has some points. “Balancing” actions may be shaded.