Optimistic play

“Here’s an optimist for you,” a club player told me. “A friend of mine hooked up with a much younger woman, and they wound up getting married. He’s 82.”

“He’s an optimist?”

“He bought a house,” my friend said, “a half-block from an elementary school.”

Today’s declarer was no pessimist. At four spades, he took the ace of hearts and optimistically led a trump to finesse with his jack. Next, he cashed the A-K of diamonds, led a third diamond and ruffed in dummy. Alas, East overruffed, led a heart to West, overruffed dummy again on the next diamond and got his ace of clubs. Down one.

ROSY VIEW

South’s view of the play was too rosy. After he wins the first trick, he can take the A-K of diamonds, lead a third diamond and discard dummy’s last heart as a loser-on-loser (my topic this week).

East can overruff dummy on the next diamond, but South can ruff his losing heart in dummy and pick up the trumps. He loses only one more trick to the ace of clubs, making his game.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: ♠ 8 6 2 ♥ A 8 ♦ A 6 ♣ K J 9 7 6 3. You open one club, your partner responds one heart, you rebid two clubs and he tries two diamonds. What do you say?

ANSWER: This problem is awkward. Partner’s two diamonds — a new-suit bid — is forcing. Your two clubs suggested a six-card or longer suit. To rebid clubs again would suggest an even longer and maybe stronger suit. You can’t bid 2NT with three low spades. Bid two hearts by default.

North dealer

N-S vulnerable