FRANK STEWART BRIDGE

MAD BRIDGE PARTY

As the players at the Mad Hatter’s took a tea break, the two Red Queens kept bickering. “My cousin will never learn,” the Queen of Diamonds told Alice. “She can’t stand to be captured, but losing a trick can be better.”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Alice sighed. As today’s South — and in the spirit of uninhibited Wonderland bidding — Alice zoomed into a slam. West, the Dormouse, led his singleton diamond, and the Hatter, East, took his ace. Heeding the Queen of Diamonds’ words, Alice followed smoothly with ... the queen.

Ace Of Clubs

The Hatter paused. If Alice had A K J 10 8 6 4 2, K 4 2, Q, 7, she would make the slam on a diamond return. So East led his ace of clubs, and Alice ruffed and claimed.

“Off with his head!” roared the Queen of Hearts. “With two singletons, South would use Blackwood to ask for aces.”

“See?” said the Queen of Diamonds. “If you play the jack or king on the first diamond, East will know what to do. West wouldn’t have led the three from K-Q-3 or Q-J-3.”

Daily Question

You hold: ♠ 7 ♥ J 10 8 ♦ A 10 9 7 2 ♣ A Q 8 2. Your partner opens one spade, you bid two diamonds and he rebids two spades. What do you say?

Answer: Despite your lack of spade support, you have enough strength to try for game. Even though you don’t have a solid heart stopper, bid 2NT. A bid of three clubs would commit you to game. In a style where your response of two diamonds would have been game-forcing, you would have had to respond with 1NT.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable