Baltimore Sun

Bridge Play

- Frank Stewart

NEXT HEART DAILY QUESTION

South dealer N-S vulnerable

“Is it true that seven out of five people have trouble with fractions?” — graffiti.

I don’t know about that, but handling single suit combinatio­ns is a building block of good dummy play, and many people have trouble with it.

At today’s 3NT, South took the king of clubs, led a diamond to his hand and returned a low heart to dummy’s king, winning. Then came the play to Trick Four: three of hearts, seven, jack, ace. West next led the jack of clubs, and declarer won, came to his king of spades and led a third heart. He hoped for a 3-3 split, but East took the nine and led another spade. South won only seven tricks.

NORTH

♠ 942

♥ K3

♦ J95

♣ AK874

WEST Q875 A8

62 QJ1093

SOUTH AK J10542 AK43 62

Opening lead —

Declarer mismanaged the hearts. After the king wins, he must play low from his hand on the next heart.

If the suit breaks 3-3, South’s play is moot, but the correct play gains if West held A-x. South can win a spade shift and lead the jack of hearts to force out East’s queen, setting up three heart tricks, two spades, two diamonds and two clubs.

You hold: ♠ AK ♥ J 10 5 4 2 ♦ AK43 ♣ 6 2. Your partner opens one spade, you bid two hearts, he rebids two spades and you try three diamonds. Partner next bids three hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner lacks good heart support. Your bid of two hearts suggested a five-card or longer suit, and he often would have raised directly with three-card support. Bid three spades to show a tolerance for that suit. He may have six cards in spades.

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