FRANK STEWART BRIDGE

HARLOW THE HALO

“For everybody else, luck is a nine days’ wonder,” Unlucky Louie grumbled to me in the club lounge.

“Harlow has a lifetime pass.”

While Louie deals with misfortune, the player we call Harlow the Halo basks in persistent good luck.

In a team match, both Louie and Harlow played at 6NT. West led the queen of spades. Harlow won and unblocked dummy’s high diamonds, accepting the 3- 3 break as his due, and king of clubs. He came to his ace of hearts and took the A- Q of clubs. The jack fell, so Harlow had four clubs, four diamonds, two hearts and two spades.

Spade Return

Louie was more careful. At Trick Two, he conceded a heart. He won the spade return, took the king of clubs and led a heart to his ace. If hearts had split 3- 2, Louie would have had 12 tricks no matter how the minor suits lay. As it was, he still got home when both minors treated him well.

Louie’s play was superior; Harlow deserved to fail.

“The man was born with a silver horseshoe in his mouth,” Louie sighed.

Daily Question

You hold: ♠ 7 6 ♥ A K 5 ♦ 8 6 5 2 ♣ A Q 10 3. Your partner opens one spade, you respond two clubs and he bids two hearts. What do you say?

Answer: You have enough values to commit to game but cannot comfortably place the contract. You have two options. One is to bid four hearts despite the lack of a fourth trump. The other is to bid three diamonds, a “fourth- suit” action, hoping to make a winning decision after you hear partner bid once more.

South dealer

N- S vulnerable