Kridge >> Ky Frank Stewart
“One thing I’ve learned,” said Cy the Cynic, who was philosophizing in the club lounge: “Money talks.”
“Agreed,” Unlucky Louie sighed. “And its favorite word is ‘goodbye.’”
Louie had waved goodbye to some of his money in that day’s penny game. When I watched today’s deal, he was declarer at six spades, and West led his singleton jack of clubs. Louie knew enough to take dummy’s ace, but he next cashed the A-K of hearts and ruffed his jack with dummy’s seven of trumps. East overruffed, took his king of clubs and gave West a club ruff. Down two.
How would you play the slam?
DRAWS TRUMPS
Louie forgot to count his tricks. After he takes the ace of clubs, he can draw trumps, pitching a diamond from dummy. He next leads the queen of clubs. East takes the king and leads a heart.
Louie wins with the king, cashes his ten of clubs, leads a heart to dummy’s ace and ruffs a club with his last trump. He wins the last three tricks with the K-A of diamonds and dummy’s good club.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: ♠ AQJ62 ♥ KJ7 ♦ K3 ♣ Q 10 7. The dealer, at your right, opens one diamond. What do you say?
ANSWER: This is a close call. You have 16 high-card points and a good five-card suit, and your king of diamonds, positioned behind the opening bidder, is worth as much as an ace. To double, intending to bid spades next, would be reasonable. I would judge that approach to be slightly too aggressive. I would start with a one-spade overcall. North dealer
N-S vulnerable