GOREN ON BRIDGE

It’s a running joke among tournament players that if you open a preemptive four hearts, one of the opponents will “accept the transfer” and bid four spades. You may not agree with South’s bid in today’s deal, but that is exactly what two South players bid in a recent expert team match. Both East players made a Lightner Double to ask for an unusual lead. This meant something other than hearts and is often based on a void in one of the side suits.

West at this table duly led a club, ruffed by East. East returned the queen of hearts, which West overtook with the ace to lead another club. South could have handled the trump suit for no further losers by ruffing with dummy’s ace and leading a low spade to his hand.

It certainly is not clear to do that and there were other problems in the hand, so South elected to discard from dummy. He lost another ruff but was able to take the rest of the tricks to finish down two, doubled. At the other table, West did not find the club lead. A spade was led instead and declarer, after some excellent play, was able to escape for down one.

In the end, there was not a lot won or lost on this deal, but all this drama ensued after that motheaten four-spade overcall. Was it worth it? Would you have made that bid?

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

Your intuition can give you important answers, but it is not an accountant. Sometimes the answer that feels right may not match the world’s perspective. Do the research.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

You may be having more difficulty than usual with assignments. Identify changes in your routine or distractions that interfere with your concentration. GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

Wanting to play first and work later is what all children dream of, but adults seldom can. There could be a sense of nostalgic deja vu from wanting to hang out with your friends before completing work.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

You cannot build a strong building without a strong foundation; this is what keeps it from tipping over. Same for people: If you are not well grounded, you might need to first find your base.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

You might be full of romantic daydreams but may get less than you bargained for. Someone could be flattered by your attention, but it is not wise to let your desire for fiction outweigh common sense.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Be the one they can trust. There’s no lasting success that involves betraying the people around you. If you cannot be trusted, you will not be able to achieve future advancement.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Do your best to stop looking around and instead look inward and you could discover something new that others may not realize they need.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Hobbies from your childhood can often be an introduction to the wider world or a window on forgotten talents.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

There may be chores that you have been avoiding which are distracting you from something higher priority. The job that is paying your bills should be the one that gets the majority of your attention.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

The daily grind can often leave you feeling like a mindless drone in the hive. It may not be wise to abandon your swarm and leave the honey behind.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

People can often fall into a downward spiral if they feel they cannot manage a certain task. Now may be the time to build up your emergency stores to give yourself some breathing room.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

Do your best to avoid becoming morose. You could be concerned you might have been gullible in the past, but your relationships can get back on track if you are willing to wait.