DAILY BRIDGE CLUB
“Never doubt, child, that I’m the most powerful card in Wonderland,” the Queen of Hearts told Alice haughtily as the players at the Mad Hatter’s game took a tea break. “No ace or king would dare capture me.”
“Of course, your majesty,” sighed Alice, who had grown weary of the Queen’s bluster. “I’d like a chance to teach her some humility,” she muttered to herself.
When play resumed, Alice was today’s East. South, the March Hare, settled for an invitational jump to 2NT at his second turn since North was the Hatter, who usually bid like the madman he was. Sure enough, he raised to 3NT despite his 13-point minimum. West, the Dormouse, led the five of diamonds.
“All invitations accepted,” the Hatter chirped as he tabled dummy.
The March Hare ducked Alice’s queen of diamonds and won the diamond return. To make his game, declarer needed heart tricks. At Trick Three, he led a heart to dummy’s king ... and Alice promptly dumped her queen.
“Off with her head!” the Queen of Hearts roared. “How dare she let my card be a loser.”
The Hare returned a second heart to his ace, but the Dormouse won the third heart with the jack and cashed three diamonds for down one.
“Oh, be quiet for once,” Alice told the fuming Queen of Hearts. “My play was necessary to beat the contract. And besides, you’re nothing but a pack of cards.”
Unless East gets rid of her queen of hearts, declarer can arrange to lose a heart trick to East, setting up four hearts plus two spades, two clubs and a diamond.
North dealer
N-S vulnerable