Daily Bridge Club

Learn from the deals

“You’ve written that learning from one’s mistakes is essential,” one of my club’s seniors said to me. “Certainly,” I nodded. “Well,” he sighed, “it would be helpful if I could remember more of mine.”

My friend had no problem recalling today’s deal. He was declarer at four spades, and dummy hit with strikingly good trump support. West led a heart: five, queen, ace. South then (questionably) led the nine of trumps to finesse, and East won and returned a trump.

Declarer next led the A-K and a third diamond. He hoped East would win, but West took the queen and led a club, and East got the queen and ace. Down one.

TRUMP FINESSE

South needed to set up the diamonds without letting West get in. South does best to let East win the first heart! South can win the next heart, pitching a diamond from dummy, lose the trump finesse and win the trump return.

South can then take the top diamonds and ruff a diamond. He gets to his hand with a trump to discard two clubs on the good diamonds.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: Q 9 7 6 A 9 K 6 5 3 2 9 5. Your partner opens one heart, you respond one spade, he bids two diamonds and you raise to three diamonds. Partner then bids three hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner suggests six hearts, four diamonds and extra strength. If he had a minimum with that same pattern, his second bid would often have been two hearts (or, if he bid two diamonds, he would have passed you at three diamonds). You should bid four hearts. East dealer Both sides vulnerable