FRANK STEWART BRIDGE

EVASIVE MANEUVERS With the dreaded day of April 15 looming, my accountant asked me if I knew that Darth Vader has a brother.

“I hear the IRS is looking for him,” I was told. “Name is Tax E. Vader.” Today’s South plays at four hearts How can he evade four losers when West leads the queen of spades?

When I watched the deal in a penny game at my club, South won the first trick and simply led a heart for a finesse with the jack. West took the queen, and the defense cashed two spades and the ace of clubs for down one.

Can you find a better line of play? First Spade South should refuse the first spade and win the second. He should then cash the A-K of trumps. If the queen fell, he would have 10 tricks, but when both defenders play low, South still has a chance. South takes three diamonds — EastWest must follow — and leads the fourth diamond, pitching dummy’s last spade. Whether West ruffs or discards, South ruffs his last spade in dummy, losing only a spade, a trump and a club. Daily Question You hold: A 6 4 10 7 6 A Q 5 K J 7 ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ 4. Your partner opens one heart, and the next player passes. What do you say?

Answer: Bidding methods vary according to a partnership’s agreements. In today’s deal, North’s 2NT response was natural and forcing, showing this type of hand. Many pairs would treat a 2NT response as a conventional forcing heart raise. In their style, the correct response would be two clubs or perhaps 1NT, forcing. South dealer N-S vulnerable