Daily Bridge Club

Keying on 12 tricks

In the club lounge, Unlucky Louie was grumbling about the high cost of everything.

“Money isn’t the key to happiness,” I observed.

“If I had the money,” Louie said, “I could have a key made.”

Louie might make money in his penny game if he knew the key to good dummy play: Count your winners. At six spades, Louie took the ace of hearts, led a trump to his ace and returned a diamond to dummy’s queen. East won and led a trump.

Louie won, took the ace of diamonds and ruffed a diamond with the king of trumps. When East discarded, Louie was sunk. He could pitch a diamond on the king of hearts but still had a diamond loser.

THREE CLUBS

Louie succeeds if he keys on possible winners. He has six trumps, two hearts, one diamond — and three clubs. At Trick Two, Louie takes the king of hearts to discard his ace of clubs. He next leads the queen of clubs and discards a diamond.

West wins, but Louie ruffs the heart return, draws trumps ending in dummy and takes his club winners.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: ♠ K 32 ♥ AK 7 4 ♦ Q2 ♣ Q J 10 9. Your partner opens one diamond, you respond one heart and he bids one spade. What do you say?

ANSWER: At your second turn as responder, you can often place the contract — or suggest a contract by limiting your strength. Here, you have balanced pattern, stoppers in clubs and enough strength for game (but not enough to try for slam). Bid 3NT. A bid of 2NT would not be forcing.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable