FRANK STEWART BRIDGE

“I bought a horse for my kids to ride,” Unlucky Louie told me in the club lounge. “A local stable is boarding her for me.” “What’s the horse’s name?” I asked. “We named her Grace,” Louie said. “That’s in case one of the kids ever falls from her.” Louie could afford to buy plenty of oats if his luck improved in his penny Chicago game. But when he was declarer at today’s four spades, he took the ace of hearts, led a trump to dummy and returned a diamond to finesse with his queen. West took the king and led a trump.

One Trump

Louie won and took the ace of diamonds, but he had two diamond losers, and dummy had only one trump left. So Louie lost a second diamond plus two clubs. Down one.

Louie fell from Grace when he finessed in diamonds. He failed to count his winners. Louie must take the ace at Trick Two and concede a diamond. If the defenders switch to trumps, Louie wins, ruffs a diamond in dummy, ruffs a heart and ruffs his last diamond. He is sure of 10 tricks. Daily Question

You hold: ♠ 7 ♥ KQJ7 2 ♦ 10 9 6 ♣A

K J 5. You open one heart, your partner responds one spade, you bid two clubs and he jumps to three spades. What do you say?

Answer: Partner’s jump-rebid in his own suit is invitational to game, not forcing.

If he held A K Q 10 6 5, A 4, 5 3, 8 7 6, he would have bid four spades himself. With A K Q 8 3, 8 3, A 5 3 2, 7 6, he would have bid two diamonds, forcing. Since you have little extra in high cards and no spade tolerance, pass.

East dealer

Both sides vulnerable