Bridge >>

“I don’t want my problems solved for me. Don’t give me a fish. Give me a fishing pole.” —anonymous, but he might have been a bridge player.

The essence of bridge is problemsolving. To face an enigmatic situation and figure out the answer is exhilarating.

In today’s deal, South’s invitational jump to two spades strikes me as timid and North’s jump to game as bold. Against four spades, West led the K-A and a third club. South ruffed and led a diamond to dummy’s queen.

HIGH HONOR

The finesse won, but South still had a problem: If trumps broke 3-0, he had to cash the right high honor first. He led low to his king — and West discarded. South then had an insoluble problem: East was sure of a trump trick, and West had to get the queen of hearts.

South should take the ace of trumps first. As the cards lie, he is safe. If instead East discarded, South could take the king, lead a diamond to the ace, ruff dummy’s last diamond and exit with a trump. West would be end-played.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: ♠ None ♥ Q954 ♦ K 10 5 2 ♣ A K J 10 8. You open one club, your partner responds one spade, you rebid two clubs and he rebids two spades. The opponents pass. What do you say?

ANSWER: Mayday! Your partner has six or seven spades but at most 10 high-card points. Game is impossible, and his hand may win no tricks unless spades are trumps. Pass. When the deal is clearly a misfit and you have no compensating high-card strength, stop bidding.

West dealer

N-S vulnerable