FRANK STEWART BRIDGE

Unlucky Louie has a houseful of kids, plus grandkids. His favorite holiday song is probably “It’s Beginning to Cost a Lot Like Christmas.” (Grapefruit, my club’s obstreperous member, may like “Have Yourself a Grumpy Little Christmas.”) At today’s slam, Louie won the first club in dummy and led a trump to his jack — a correct percentage play. West won and led another club, and Louie won and drew trumps. He took the A-K of hearts and ruffed a heart, but when West discarded, East got a heart trick. Two Trumps

Louie’s trump finesse was costly (and might not have gained if it had won). Louie must take the A-K, keeping two trumps in each hand. If East-West play low, Louie continues with the A-K of hearts, heart ruff, spade to dummy, heart ruff to set up dummy’s fifth heart. The defenders get one trump trick.

As the cards lie, West’s queen of trumps falls. Louie can draw East’s last trump, take the top hearts, ruff a heart, return a spade to dummy, concede a heart and claim.

Daily Question

You hold: ♠ AK ♥ A K87 4 ♦ 7654♣ K 7. You open one heart, your partner responds two clubs, you bid two diamonds and he jumps to three hearts. What do you say?

Answer: Partner’s three hearts is forcing; with an invitational hand and heart support, he could have bid two hearts at his second turn (or maybe responded 1NT). Slam is possible. Cuebid three spades. If partner cue-bids four clubs in return, try four spades or five clubs.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable