FRANK STEWART BRIDGE

MORE CHANCES

“My wife is a much better player than I am,” a club player told me. “I think she views our partnership as if she’s vacuuming a rug. If there is a piece of lint that the vacuum cleaner won’t get, she picks it up, inspects it, puts it back on the rug — and gives the vacuum one more chance.” My friend was today’s East. His wife led the king of diamonds against four hearts. “I signaled with the nine,” he said, “and my wife continued with the ace and a third diamond. I ruffed, but declarer won my club return, led a trump to his queen and took the ace.

When the trumps fell, he claimed, pitching his spade loser on the queen of diamonds.” Upset

“My wife was upset. I don’t know how many more chances she’s going to give me.”

East misdefended. He should signal with the deuce on the first diamond. Since East has a natural trump trick anyway, he wants a shift — the obvious shift, to a spade — not a diamond continuation. If West leads a spade at Trick Two, South fails. Daily Question You hold: A 72 10 4 Q 10 6 4 AK7 ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ 3. North in today’s deal opened one club with this hand. Do you agree with his call?

Answer: Some players tend to open one diamond with four cards in each minor, but I see little reason to do so here. This is a balanced hand, not a diamond-club hand. You’ll bid 1NT over a one-heart response or raise a one-spade response. You leave room for partner to respond in diamonds. Also, you prefer a club opening lead. North dealer N-S vulnerable