DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

Rose, our club member whose kindness and courtesy to her fellow players are worth emulating, says that a chrysanthemum by any other name would be easier to spell.

In a duplicate event, Rose played at four spades after East had preempted. Since some pairs might reach 3NT, where there were 11 top tricks, Rose needed 12 at spades.

West led his club, and Rose took dummy’s ace. To take two rounds of trumps and then lose a club, hoping to ruff a club in dummy, wasn’t safe (though that play would work as the cards lay). If West held the missing trump, he would ruff in.

So Rose drew all the trumps and took her three top diamonds, pitching a club. She lost a club, ruffed East’s club return and led her last trump at the 10th trick. West had to save a high diamond since dummy still had a diamond, hence he could keep only two hearts.

So dummy threw the diamond, and Rose took the K-A of hearts and won Trick 13 with her seven.

A squeeze by any other name would be as sweet. (Alas for Rose, 6NT makes with a similar squeeze.) DAILY QUESTION You hold: S 9 8 4 H Q 9 D 4 C K Q J 9 7 6 4. Neither side vulnerable. You deal and open three clubs, and your partner bids three hearts. The opponents pass. What do you say?

ANSWER: Your partner’s bid of three hearts is forcing. It would make no sense for him to bid a new suit with a bad hand since your three clubs promised a strong suit. Raise to four hearts. Your support is as good as partner could reasonably expect.