“My partner must think highly of my dummy play,” a club player said to me. “Yesterday she paid me a nice compliment.”
My friend played at today’s 3NT. West led the jack of hearts.
“I put up dummy’s queen and let the queen and jack of spades ride. Next I led a diamond to my queen and returned a club toward dummy. The king won, so I came back to the ace of diamonds and led another club. I made six!”
“And partner complimented you?”
“She said every hand I played was better than the next.”
EIGHT TRICKS
North’s “compliment” was backhanded. If the spade finesse had failed, South would have gone down; West would lead another heart, South would have only eight tricks, and West would run the hearts when he took the ace of clubs.
South should lead a diamond to his hand at Trick Two and return a club. Since West has the ace, South wins at least two clubs, two hearts, four diamonds and one spade. If East had the ace of clubs, South would still succeed if the spade finesse won.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: S A 9 6 H A 6 D A Q 10 3 C 8 7 5 2. You open one diamond, and your partner bids one spade. The opponents pass. What do you say?
ANSWER: To rebid 1NT, showing a balanced minimum, would not be a mistake. I would prefer to raise to two spades. Partner does not have four hearts unless he has five spades, and hearts might be a weak spot at notrump. Incidentally, if the club and diamond holdings were reversed, I would open one club with this hand.
South declarer
N-S vulnerable
NORTH
S Q J 10
H Q 8
D K J 4 2
C K Q 6 4
WEST
S 8 7 5
H K J 10 9 5
D 9 7
C A J 10
EAST
S K 4 3 2
H 7 4 3 2
D 8 6 5
C 9 3
SOUTH
S A 9 6
H A 6
D A Q 10 3
C 8 7 5 2
South West North East
1 D 1 H 2 C Pass
2 NT Pass 3 NT All Pass
Opening lead — H J
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