Test your play

THIS week’s deals have treated the proper management of entries. To test your dummy play, cover the East-West cards and try to make four spades. West leads the ten of hearts, a sure singleton, and you win.

You can count 10 top tricks: a heart, six trumps, the ace of diamonds and two clubs. But to take dummy’s ace, you must find a way to get there.

East opened the bidding, but say you lead a low club to dummy’s jack. East takes the king, cashes two hearts and leads a trump. You can run your trumps, but West will cling to his clubs and win the 13th trick.

DILEMMA

To create an entry while placing East in a dilemma, lead the queen of clubs at Trick Two. If East wins, cashes two hearts and leads another heart, you ruff, draw trumps and get to dummy with the jack of clubs to pitch a club on the ace of diamonds.

If instead East lets your queen of clubs win, take the ace next and ruff a club in dummy. You can throw a loser on the ace of diamonds and make an overtrick.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: 5 3 K Q J 9 3 K Q 8 K 10 7. You open one heart, and your partner responds one spade. The opponents pass. What do you say?

ANSWER

Some inexperienced players would rebid two hearts. That would not be the worst call in history, but the correct bid is 1NT to show a balanced, minimum opening bid. Since your bid of one heart already promised at least five hearts, a rebid of two hearts would suggest a six-card or longer suit.

East dealer N-S vulnerable Opening lead – 10