“I had a heart-to-heart with my youngest daughter,” Unlucky Louie told me. “I said I didn’t want her making the same mistakes I made at her age.”
“How’d she take that?”
“She said, ‘Dad, don’t worry. I’ll probably make mistakes that weren’t invented back then.’”
Today’s North should have bid 3NT at his first turn. Against five diamonds, West led a heart: king, ace. East returned the jack, and South threw a spade and took the queen. He next led a club: seven, king, four.
THREE CARDS
South then ran his trumps, and East smoothly let go two spades. His last three cards were the king of spades and A-10 of clubs. At the end, South erred by leading a club for a nonexistent end play. Down one.
South should ruff the second heart, delaying his discard. He draws trumps and leads a club from dummy. If East ducks, South wins — and can discard his last club on the queen of hearts. If instead East grabs his ace, South pitches two spades on the queen of clubs and queen of hearts.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: S A 6 5 H K Q 4 D Q 9 6 2 C Q 3 2. Your partner opens one club, you bid 2NT and he rebids three clubs. What do you say?
ANSWER: Partner has doubts about notrump. He may have slam interest, but your first duty is to look for the best game. Bid three hearts to show heart strength. If partner holds 3,A93,A104,KJ10864, he will avoid notrump. (Some pairs use a 2NT response to a minor-suit opening as invitational; I dislike that treatment.)
East dealer
N-S vulnerable
NORTH
S A 6 5
H K Q 4
D Q 9 6 2
C Q 3 2
WEST
S 10 9 3 2
H 8 7 2
D 8 5
C 9 8 5 4
EAST
S K 8 4
H A J 10 9 6 3
D None
C A J 10 7
SOUTH
S Q J 7
H 5
D A K J 10 7 4 3
C K 6
East South West North
1 H 2 D Pass 2 H
3 H Pass 5 D All Pass
Opening lead — H 8
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