Bridge >> By Frank Stewart

It was the first of the month — a time when no female is deadlier than the mail. I found Unlucky Louie in the club lounge, wrestling with a fresh stack of bills.

“My sweet wife’s a human dynamo,” Louie groaned. “She charges everything she comes in contact with.”

Louie might pay off his credit card bill if he did better in his penny game. He was declarer at today’s four spades, and West led the king and jack of diamonds. East overtook (too late) with the ace and led the jack of clubs: queen, king, ace. Louie drew trumps but lost a heart and a club.

“Hearts broke 4-2,” Louie shrugged, “so I couldn’t get a discard for my club loser.”

LAST DIAMOND

East would not have overtaken the second diamond to lead a club from his king, so Louie must play a low club from his hand. He draws trumps, ruffs his last diamond in dummy, takes the A-K of hearts and exits with a club.

When West wins, he has no more hearts. He must lead a club or diamond, and Louie can ruff in dummy and pitch his losing heart.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: A Q J96 A 4 3 7 5 2 Q 6. You open one spade, your partner responds two diamonds, you rebid two spades and he tries three hearts. The opponents pass. What do you say?

ANSWER: This situation is awkward. To bid 3NT might be right despite your lack of a certain club stopper; partner might hold 3, K J 7 6, A Q 10 4 3, A 7 2. Still, “support with support” is a sound principle. Bid four diamonds. Partner will thank you if his hand is 5, K Q 7 6, A K Q 6 4 3, 4 3.

North dealer

N-S vulnerable