FRANK STEWART BRIDGE

ATTITUDE SIGNALS

After a duplicate, we repaired to the club lounge to go over the deals. Wendy, our feminist, had played with her adversary Cy the Cynic. They had not done well. “The woman has an attitude,” Cy bit out. “A strong man can handle a strong woman,” Wendy growled. “A wimp says she has an attitude.”

Against today’s four spades, Cy led the king of diamonds: seven, deuce, five. He shifted to a club. South won, lost to Cy’s ace of trumps, won the next club, drew trumps and led a diamond. Cy took his ace, after which South threw two clubs on dummy’s high diamonds. Making four. “Her deuce of diamonds was an ‘attitude’ signal, asking for a shift,” Cy said, “and I shifted.”

Third Diamond

After Cy wins Trick One, he can lead the ace and a third diamond. When he takes the ace of trumps, he leads a fourth diamond. Wendy ruffs dummy’s winner, and South loses a club.

Wendy might have signaled with the four on the first diamond. Cy might have found the best defense no matter what.

Daily Question

You hold: ♠ KJ987 ♥ KQ ♦ 65 ♣ 10 9 8 7. The dealer, at your left, opens one heart, and your partner doubles. South in today’s deal responded one spade with this hand. Do you agree?

Answer: South’s hand was worth 10 points in theory — enough to issue a game-invitational jump to two spades. But the heart honors weren’t too valuable, so a response of one spade was fine. A hand such as K J 9 8 7, 4 3, 6 5, K Q 8 7 would be worth at least a response of two spades.

East dealer

E-W vulnerable