Experience required

EXPERIENCE is required to make anything except mistakes. At 3NT, South would have needed either fine card sense or the experience of having seen a similar situation. (Try to find a winning play yourself.)

South won the first spade with the ace and led the queen of hearts, winning, and a heart to dummy’s ten. East took the jack and returned a spade.

South won in dummy and knew he couldn’t set up and cash another heart trick. He tried the A-K and a third club, hoping for a 3-3 break, but East took two clubs and the ace of hearts, and South also lost a diamond. Down one.

TRICK TWO

South should lead a low heart to dummy’s ten at Trick Two. If East ducks, dummy leads another heart, and South is sure of two hearts, three spades, two clubs and two diamonds.

If instead East takes the jack of hearts to return a spade, South wins with the queen and overtakes his queen of hearts with the king to set up three heart tricks: 10 in all. The king of spades is a dummy entry.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: AQ 8 Q5 A K 6 2 A K 7 3. Neither side vulnerable. The dealer, at your right, opens three hearts. You double, and your partner bids three spades. What do you say?

ANSWER

This problem is agonizing. Though you have 22 high- card points, your queen of hearts may be worthless, and you have a bundle of losers. Your partner may have nothing, and bad breaks are possible. Being a chicken, I would pass. I would not criticise a bid of four spades.

South dealer Both sides vulnerable

Opening lead – ♠5