The Palm Beach Post

DAILY BRIDGE CLUB:

- BY FRANK STEWART

Unlucky Louie is a busy man: He has a big family, business interests and hobbies aside from bridge. Yet he shows up at my club on most days.

“I don’t see how you cram it all into one life,” I said.

“The only thing I can seem to find time for,” Louie admitted, “is procrastin­ation.”

Louie would do well to procrastin­ate as declarer. He plays first and thinks later. Against today’s four hearts, West led the K-A and a low diamond, and Louie ruffed East’s 10 and promptly took the A-K of trumps. When West discarded,

Louie was doomed: He lost a trump to East’s queen plus a spade.

How would you handle the contract?

South makes four hearts if he procrastin­ates in trumps. After he ruffs the third diamond, he can take the A-K of clubs and K-A of spades, ruff his last club and ruff dummy’s last diamond. At the 10th trick, South exits with a spade.

Both dummy and declarer are left with three trumps, and with a defender to lead, declarer is sure to win the rest.

DAILY QUESTION: You hold: ♠ K106 ♥ KJ76

◆ 9542 ♣ A K. You open one diamond, your partner responds one spade, you bid 1NT and he tries two hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: In “Standard” methods, partner’s two hearts is not forcing or encouragin­g, but since you have so many working cards, game is possible. He may have A J 7 5 4, A 10 5 4, 3, 8 7 6. Bid three hearts.

 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States