Daily Bridge Club

Paying the piper

Cy the Cynic says that if at first you don’t succeed, pay somebody to do it for you. These days, some bridge players often hire professional partners — maybe to learn how to improve, maybe to have a better chance to win. But you can’t retain someone to play the dummy for you.

Against today’s six clubs, West led the jack of spades: queen, king, ace. South then drew trumps and next took the queen and ace of hearts. He planned to run the hearts to discard dummy’s last spade, then ruff one spade in dummy and lose one at the end.

ONE TRUMP

But when the hearts unkindly broke 5-1, South was sunk. He had a losing heart plus two losing spades, and dummy had only one trump. Down one.

South gets an extra chance by starting the hearts with the ace and queen. When West discards, South is in dummy to lead the king of diamonds for a ruffing finesse. When East covers, South ruffs, ruffs a heart in dummy and throws a spade on the queen of diamonds. He loses one spade but makes the slam.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: Q3 Q2 KQ643 A753.Youopen one diamond, your partner responds

one heart, you bid two clubs and he tries two spades. You bid 2NT, and partner bids three hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: You had a scruffy opening bid with poor spots, lots of queens and no length in the major suits. Still, you cannot pass. Partner’s three hearts is forcing; his two spades — a “reverse” by responder — forced to game. Bid four hearts. South dealer N-S vulnerable