FRANK STEWART BRIDGE

Pickled contract

Unlucky Louie denies that life is like a box of chocolates. He says that in his case it’s like a jar of jalapeno peppers.

Louie was today’s South. His cue bid of two spades conventionally promised length in hearts and a minor suit. North’s 4NT asked which minor.

At five diamonds, Louie took the ace of spades and tried the king, ace and queen of hearts, hoping to pitch dummy’s last spade, but West ruffed the third heart with his low trump. Dummy overruffed and led the jack of trumps, but when East refused to cover, Louie lost a spade and two trumps.

Club Ruff

The door to 11 tricks was ajar. At Trick Five, Louie must take the ace of clubs, then ruff a club and ruff a heart in dummy. He ruffs a club and leads his good fifth heart.

The defenders are fixed. If West ruffs with his ace, dummy’s spade goes away, and Louie loses only two trumps. If instead West discards, dummy discards the spade. East can ruff low, but Louie later leads a trump, and the king and ace fall together.

Daily Question

You hold: ♠ KQ965 ♥ J976 ♦ K5

♣ K Q. Your partner opens one spade, and you respond 2NT, a conventional forcing raise. He next bids three hearts. What do you say?

Answer: After the conventional 2NT response, partner’s three hearts shows a singleton heart. The idea is to let you judge whether you have useful honors. Your hand is promising. Bid 4NT, or bid three spades to urge him to cuebid an ace. With no slam interest, you would just bid four spades.

East dealer

Both sides vulnerable