Daily Bridge Club

Speaking in tongues

“How much do you know about human anatomy?” Cy the Cynic asked me in the club lounge. “Just the bare bones,” I said. “The tongue is the body’s only muscle that is connected at only one end,” Cy told me. “That doesn’t stop my partners from making full use of it.”

Cy was East in today’s deal from his penny game. Against six hearts, West led the king of spades, then the ace. South ruffed with dummy’s king of trumps, and Cy threw a club.

GOOD CLUB

“Declarer drew trumps,” the Cynic told me, “pitching two diamonds from dummy. He took the A-K of clubs, led a diamond to dummy and ruffed a club. When my partner and I followed, he claimed. He could pitch his last two spades on dummy’s third high diamond and good club.

“Partner gave me a tonguelashing,” Cy went on. “I was tonguetied. Did he want me to discard a diamond on the second spade so declarer could run the diamonds?”

Cy missed the best defense. He must discard a trump at Trick Two! Then the slam is unmakeable.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: 10 7 4 2 A Q J 10 9 9 5 A K. You open one heart, your partner responds one spade, you raise to two spades and he next bids 2NT. What do you say?

ANSWER: This problem is difficult. You have four-card spade support and maximum values for your single raise, so a jump to four spades is indicated. Still, your spades are poor, and you have trick-taking power in hearts. To raise to 3NT will be right if partner holds J 8 5 3, K 3, K Q 7, Q 10 5 2. South dealer N-S vulnerable