DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

In the club lounge, Unlucky Louie told us his 13-year-old daughter was starting to think about careers.

“I told her she could be anyone she wanted,” Louie sighed, “and she looked upset. She said, ‘Dad, that’s what they call identity theft.’ It’s become a cynical world.”

There was theft in today’s deal from a team match. Both Souths played at 3NT, and West led a heart. Dummy’s jack won. One declarer came to his hand and let the nine of diamonds ride. East took the queen and returned a heart, and South was doomed. West set up his hearts with the ace of diamonds as an entry. Down one.

The other South stole the game. At Trick Two he led dummy’s deuce of diamonds, hoping to lose to West, who couldn’t continue hearts effectively.

East beats 3NT by putting up his queen (!) to return a heart, but when he played low, declarer’s jack won. West ducked again on the next diamond, but South went right by playing the king. He lost a diamond to the ace and made overtricks.

Daily question

You hold: ♠ K7 ♥ AQ3 ♦ J9765 ♣ A 5 3. You open one diamond, your partner responds one spade, you bid 1NT and he jumps to three hearts. What do you say?

Answer: Since partner has a distributional hand, I would not insist on notrump with a primary club stopper and weak diamonds. Bid three spades. His bidding invites you to take a spade preference, and he must be prepared for you to do so with a doubleton honor. You can still get to notrump.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable