Daily Bridge Club

Arguing the point

“Arguing with my wife is like reading the Microsoft user agreement,” a club player told me. “Your best bet is to ignore it and just click on ‘I accept.’”

He was today’s East, and West led a trump against six spades. South drew trumps and led a club to dummy’s eight, his percentage play to avoid two club losers.

“I took my ten and shifted to a diamond,” East said. “South put up the ace and led a heart to dummy’s jack. He cashed the A-K of hearts to pitch a club, took the ace of clubs and ruffed a club. When the suit broke 3-3, he threw his diamond loser on the 13th club. Making six.”

NEXT DEAL

“My wife insisted that the slam should fail. I don’t know what she meant, but arguing is a waste of time. I accepted her complaining, and we played the next deal.”

It’s not hard to argue that East handed South the contract. East must win the first club with the king and lead a diamond. South will surely take the ace and lead a second club to the nine, playing West for Q-10-6-2.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: Q 10 3 2 A K J Q 3 A J 9 8. You open 1NT, and your partner bids three spades. North in today’s deal then bid four clubs with this hand. Do you agree with that action?

ANSWER: North’s bid was correct, or at least reasonable. He would have returned to 3NT without spade support or raised to four spades with an average hand and spade support. His four clubs was an “advance cue bid,” showing excellent support and maximum values. North dealer N-S vulnerable