FRANK STEWART BRIDGE

BUTTONED LIPS

“I heard you and Wendy had a fight,” I said to Cy the Cynic. Wendy, my club’s feminist, and Cy, a chauvinist, are always at it.

“She really knows how to push my buttons,” Cy growled. “I’d push her mute button — if she had one.”

The two were today’s East-West. Wendy led the jack of hearts against four spades, and South won and led a trump to Cy’s king.

“I shifted to the jack of clubs,” Cy said. “South won and led the queen of diamonds. Wendy took her ace and led another club, but South put up dummy’s ten. He lost one more trick to Wendy’s high trump, and she said I was depriving a village somewhere of its idiot.”

Trick Three

Cy must lead the four of clubs at the third trick. If South wins and leads the queen of diamonds, Wendy takes the ace and leads a low club to establish the setting trick.

Then, if South ruffs a heart in dummy to discard his club loser on a high diamond, Wendy ruffs with her low trump. Nor can South succeed by leading a second trump at Trick Four. Daily Question

You hold: ♠ J 10 8 6 5 ♥ A K 5 ♦ Q 2 ♣ A K 8. Your partner opens one diamond, you respond one spade and he rebids two diamonds. The opponents pass. What do you say?

Answer: A suitable minimum hand for your partner such as 4, Q 7 6, A K J 10 6 5, Q 5 2 or A K, 4 3, K J 10 9 6 5, Q 5 2 will make a diamond slam colder than Nome. Gamble just a bit and jump to six diamonds. Even if partner’s hand is Q 3, 4 3, A K J 10 7 6 5, Q 5, only a spade lead will beat the contract.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable