FRANK STEWART BRIDGE

RESISTING TEMPTATION

“Let me show you a game I invented,” the Serpent said to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. “I call it ‘bridge.’”

The Serpent recruited a fourth from the Land of Nod, and Eve, as South, promptly bid a slam. (This was before “transfer” responses to 1NT were invented.) The Serpent led a spade.

“I can resist anything except temptation,” Eve muttered, and she finessed with dummy’s queen. East (of Eden) took the king and returned the jack, forcing out the ace, a vital entry to dummy. Eve took the A-Q of trumps, cashed the A-K of diamonds and ruffed a diamond. When the suit failed to break 3-3, she had to lose a club.

Unlucky

The Serpent told Eve that she was unlucky, but he didn’t have a leg to stand on. Declarer must play low from dummy on the first spade. East wins with the nine and leads a club, but South wins, takes the A-Q of trumps and the top diamonds and ruffs a diamond. She goes to the king of trumps, ruffs a diamond and returns to the ace of spades to take the good fifth diamond.

Daily Question

You hold: ♠ A Q2 ♥ K 3 2 ♦ AK752 ♣ 6 4. Your partner opens one heart, you bid two diamonds and he rebids two hearts. What do you say?

Answer: Your hand is too strong to raise to four hearts. To bid 4NT, Blackwood, would be wrong since you lack a control in clubs. Bid two spades, planning to support the hearts next to show slam interest. In a style where your two diamonds forced to game, you could raise to three hearts, forcing. That style has benefits and drawbacks.

North dealer

N-S vulnerable