FRANK STEWART BRIDGE

CORONER’S JURY

You’re involved in a coroner’s inquest. (Fortunately, you’re not the corpus delicti.) You must determine the cause of the demise of today’s contract.

How could South go down at six spades after West led his singleton club? The club king is offside, but East’s king of trumps is finessable. it seems South should lose only one club trick.

While you’re deliberating, I’ll review the bidding. North’s jump to 2NT showed 18 or 19 points, balanced. South’s three clubs was forcing. When North bid three spades, South’s leap to six was bold. North could have had a hand less suitable for slam. As to the cause of death, how say you? Singleton

South put up dummy’s ace of clubs at Trick One, correctly fearing West had led a singleton. And East dumped his king of clubs under the ace!

South was afraid to finesse in trumps. If the finesse lost, West would give East a club ruff. So South led the ace and a second trump.

East won and, to South’s amazement, gave West a club ruff. Daily Question You hold: A 10 9 6 2 4 A K 3 J65 ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ 3. You open one spade, your partner bids two hearts, you rebid two spades and he tries three clubs. What do you say?

Answer: Since you have two diamond stoppers, to bid 3NT is tempting. But your hand doesn’t look good for notrump. You have primary values, nothing in hearts to help partner set up that suit and no good suit of your own. Bid four clubs. Your best contract may be six clubs. North dealer N-S vulnerable