DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

South dealer — N-S vulnerable

The Bridge World is the granddaddy of bridge magazines. The centennial year of contract bridge comes in 2025, and in October 1929, The Bridge World published its first issue. It has appeared every month since, observing and influencing the game’s evolution.

TBW has a reputation among experts but offers material for all players. In a quiz deal, South plays at six clubs, and West leads the king of diamonds.

South is safe if East has the king of spades, but he can always make the slam by guessing who has the king of hearts: If West has it, declarer succeeds by leading the queen to finesse. If the king lies with East, declarer can lead a low heart from dummy; East must take his king or lose it, and declarer gets two spade discards on high hearts.

The analysis suggests playing East for the king of hearts. Declarer can assume that West has the king of spades since the slam is cold if East has it. But if West had both majorsuit kings plus the K-Q of diamonds, he might well have acted over South’s opening bid. See bridgeworld.com.

DAILY QUESTION You hold: ♠ AQJ ♥ Q3 ♦ 10 8 7 ♣ AJ7 6 4. Your partner opens one heart, you respond two clubs and he rebids two hearts. The opponents pass. What do you say?

ANSWER: You surely have a game contract available. Partner may have six or more hearts, but in most partnerships he has promised only five; hence to raise the hearts is premature. Bid two spades. If partner bids 2NT, raise to 3NT. If he rebids three hearts, raise to four hearts.