FRANK STEWART BRIDGE

ONLINE PLAY

The ACBL’s Blackwood Award recognizes achievement away from the table. This year, the Hall of Fame committee took the unusual step of honoring a business: Bridge Base Online has profoundly impacted the game. A free site, BBO lets you kibitz major events and compete in both tournament and casual settings.

In an expert game on BBO, Ira Chorush landed at a bold four hearts. He took the ace of spades, cashed the A-K of clubs for a spade discard and led the queen of diamonds: king, ace. He took the jack and led a third diamond. West ruffed in with the jack and led another spade.

10th Trick

South ruffed and led a fourth diamond, and West ruffed in again and led a club. Chorush ruffed and, at the 10th trick, led his EIGHT of trumps to East’s nine

East was stuck. If he returned a trump, Chorush could take the ten and ace and win Trick 13 with a good diamond. If East led a spade, Chorush could pitch the diamond, ruff in dummy and retain his A-10 of trumps behind East’s K-6. Well done!

Daily Question

You hold: ♠ A8 ♥ A 10 8 5 3 ♦ A J 9 4 2 ♣

9. Your partner opens one spade, you bid two hearts, he rebids two spades and you try three diamonds. Partner then bids three hearts. What do you say?

Answer: Partner probably has only a doubleton heart. With three-card support, he might have raised directly or might have jumped to four hearts at his third turn. Bid three spades, forcing. A jump to four spades would suggest A 8 2, A 10 8 5 3, A J 9 3, 9. South dealer.

N-S vulnerable