Spice of life

“I THINK having an extra wife would add spice to my life,” my friend the English professor told me in the club lounge. “How so?” “It’s a matter of grammar,” the prof said. “More than one mouse is mice, more than one louse is lice. More than one spouse should be spice.”

I doubt that the prof really wants a spare wife – one is all most of us can handle – but he always wants more than one chance for a contract. At today’s 3NT, East overtook West’s queen of spades with the king and returned a spade. The prof took dummy’s ace and did not stake his game on a diamond finesse. He cashed the ace of hearts and A-Q of clubs and exited with his last spade.

RED SUIT

West took three spades, on which the prof threw a heart and a diamond from his hand. West then had to lead a red suit, and South got a free finesse and his ninth trick.

If West had more than two clubs, he could exit with a club after taking his spades. Then declarer would have to rely on the diamond finesse.

DAILY QUESTION: You hold: ♠ A93 ♥A ♦ 10 9 8 3 2 ♣K J 5 3. Your partner opens one heart, you respond two diamonds, he rebids two hearts and you try 2NT. Partner then bids three diamonds. What do you say?

ANSWER: Your partner’s auction suggests a weak, unbalanced hand. He is looking for a safe place to play below game. Pass. Partner’s hand may be 4, K Q8 7 6 2, A 7 5, Q 4 2. To try three hearts or even four hearts might work well, but to bid 3NT would be a breach of discipline.