FRANK STEWART BRIDGE

PET PEEVES We all have pet peeves at the table. For example, some players are annoyed by opponents who snap the cards. My bugaboo was players who criticized their partner when any fault was their own. (Any intemperate criticism was bad enough.) When I watched today’s deal, South played at 3NT, and West led the jack of hearts: queen, king. Declarer won the heart return and led a club to his ten. He took the queen, king and ace of spades and led a second club to his jack. The finesse won again, but when West showed out, South was sunk. He could win only eight tricks before the defense got in.

Pathetic “Partner,” South sniffed, “your onediamond bid was pathetic. Bid 2NT to protect your A-Q of hearts.”

I managed to keep silent. In my younger, brasher days, I would have had less selfcontrol.

After South’s ten of clubs wins, he can return to dummy with the A-K of spades (overtaking his queen) for two more club finesses. He wins five club tricks, two spades, a heart and a diamond.

Daily Question You hold: A K 4 AQ J 9 8 3 2 73

♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ 2. You open one diamond, your partner responds one heart, you bid 1NT and he tries two spades. What do you say?

Answer: Since partner probably has five or more hearts, a return to three hearts would not be an error. Your best call is a raise to three spades, showing good threecard support and no longing for notrump. Partner will not expect four-card support; you didn’t bid one spade at your second turn.