SMILE THROUGH GRITTED TEETH

One of my favorite figures of speech is the oxymoron, in which contradictory words are combined. For example, philanthropic skin-flint or speedy snail. At other times, we say things that are impossible when taken literally. For example, people who smile while gritting their teeth.

Shakespeare must have liked oxymorons because he scattered them in a speech by Romeo in Act 1, Scene 1.

On today's deal, you must try to accumulate nine tricks in three notrump. What would you do after West leads the diamond queen, and East encourages with the nine?

I know it is almost de rigueur these days with only 6-9 points to skip over diamonds to show a four-card major. However, when that major is weak, showing diamonds is not so silly. Why? Because occasionally opener will raise the major with only three-card support in a 54-3-1 hand. That 4-3 fit will not play well.

Your road to nine tricks has to be one spade, two hearts, one diamond and five clubs.

In clubs, there are two lines of play. You can cash the three top honors, or you can take a first-round finesse of dummy's 10. Which is better?

Playing off the three top honors wins whenever the clubs divide 3-3, which is a 35.53% chance. Taking the finesse works whenever West has J-x (8%), J-x-x (18%) or J-x-xx (16%). That gives a total

bridge

of 42%. So, grit your teeth and play a club to dummy's 10. Then, here, you and your partner will be all smiles

.

Copyright United Feature Syndicate (Asia Features)