DAILY BRIDGE CLUB:

Every tournament has cruel deals. At the ACBL Spring Championships, today’s deal proved frustrating in the Open and Women’s Pairs.

One North-South bid as shown, resting timidly at 6NT. West led an ill-fated jack of spades, and declarer, Bill Pollack, won and cashed the K-Q of hearts. When West discarded a club, Pollack took the A-K of diamonds and overtook his jack with the queen. West threw another club, so South had only 11 tricks. He cashed the ace of hearts, and West threw a spade.

Pollack then took his top clubs and exited with a club, and West had to return a spade to the K-Q-9. Making six.

In the Women’s event, Pamela Granovetter-Yiji Starr quickly got to the second-best matchpoint spot. Starr opened one club, Granovetter bid two hearts, showing a six-card suit with five to seven points, and Starr leaped to seven hearts.

Brevity had to be its own reward: Seven hearts failed. But Granovetter-Starr overcame adversity and won.

DAILY QUESTION: You hold: 2 A 9 8 6 3 2 Q 9 7 4 8 3. Your partner opens one diamond, you respond one heart and he bids one spade. What do you say?

ANSWER: At matchpoint duplicate, you would have some excuse for rebidding two hearts. If partner has a tolerance for hearts, you could play at a higher-scoring partial. At IMPs or party bridge, bid two diamonds. If partner passes, he will surely be at a contract that will produce a plus.