Daily Bridge Club

Good defense in Vegas

A team including Fred Gitelman, representing the area surrounding the host city of Las Vegas, won the Grand National Teams at the ACBL Summer NABC in July. Gitelman, who changed the face of bridge by founding Bridge Base Online, recently retired as its head.

Kent Mignocchi of the losing finalists (New York) made a good play as today’s East. Against 1NT, West led a heart, won by the ace. Dummy next led a spade. If East follows with the ten, South will play the jack and will have an easy route home.

COMMAND

But Mignocchi played the queen. South took the ace and had to guess how to continue. When he led the nine, Mignocchi’s ten won, the defense was in charge and South went down two. In the replay, NorthSouth made two spades; Mignocchi’s team gained seven IMPs.

The GNT began in 1973 as a prestigious event. It has been gutted by the addition of flights and the proliferation of tournaments. In my mid-south district, it’s common for only one team to show up for the district final.

DAILY QUESTION

Youhold: 87652 A7 A5 10 8 4 3. Your partner opens one diamond, you respond one spade and he bids 1NT. What do you say?

ANSWER: North in today’s deal passed; a bid of two clubs would have been conventional in his methods, and his spade suit was terrible. Still, hands with some 5-4-2-2 distribution often fare better at a suit contract, and partner might have three-card spade support. Bid two clubs if in your style that bid is natural and not forcing. South dealer N-S vulnerable