DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

“Do you think Grapefruit has ever complimented a partner?” Cy the Cynic asked me.

Grapefruit is our club member with the disposition of a traffic cop with heartburn. He berates his partners mercilessly.

“I think he defines ‘praise’ as what we get after we die,” I said.

Grapefruit was today’s East in Cy’s penny game, and West led the king of hearts against four spades doubled.

South ruffed the next heart, led a diamond to dummy and returned a club: three, queen, ace. West then retreated into a long huddle and emerged with ... the king of trumps!

South took the ace, ruffed a club, led a diamond to his king and ruffed a club with dummy’s queen. But his last club was a loser, and he also lost a trump to West’s jack. Down one.

“If West leads anything but the king of trumps at Trick Five,” Cy said, “South will make his game.”

“What did Grapefruit say?” I asked.

“He was complimentary. He said, ‘Well done, partner. You’re not totally hopeless after all.’”

DAILY QUESTION You hold: S K J H A K 10 9 5 D 7 2 C A 9 8 7. You open one heart, and your partner raises to two hearts. The opponents pass. What do you say?

ANSWER: To pass would be reasonable, but if your partner has useful honors in clubs, you might make game. A hand such as 9 7 6 5, Q 8 6 2, 8 5, K Q 4 would offer a good chance. To try for game, bid three clubs. Partner should bid game with any maximum raise or with a suitable minimum like the hand above.