If the North-South spades look familiar, they’re the same as yesterday’s. South plays at six hearts again, and West leads the queen of clubs. Declarer wins and takes the A-K of trumps. East-West follow.
As yesterday, declarer needs club discards. Say he takes the ace of spades and ruffs a spade (as recommended yesterday). He leads a diamond to the ace, ruffs a spade, goes to the king of diamonds and leads the king of spades, pitching a club. East ruffs and takes the king of clubs.
FOURTH SPADE
Today, South must cash both the A-K of spades, pitching a club, then ruff a spade. He leads a diamond to the ace and returns a fourth spade. East discards; if he ruffs, South pitches his last club. South ruffs, goes to the king of diamonds and leads the good fifth spade, throwing his last club. Making six.
The difference is that here, East has an outstanding high trump that declarer can afford to ignore. Since declarer needs two discards in a hurry, he must take both high spades early.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: S A K 7 4 3 H 5 D A K 3 C 10 7 3 2. You open one spade, your partner bids two hearts, you rebid two spades and he rebids three hearts. What do you say?
ANSWER: Partner has long hearts but minimum values for a two-level response. (Even in a “two-over-one” style, many pairs treat this sequence as not forcing.) He may have 6,KQJ1064,764,A54 or 6,AQJ1064,764,Q54. Bid four hearts, especially if vulnerable, and hope for luck.
South dealer
N-S vulnerable
NORTH
S A K 7 4 3
H 5
D A K 3
C 10 7 3 2
WEST
S Q 9 6 5
H J 6
D J 6 4 2
C Q J 9
EAST
S J 10 8
H Q 10 9
D Q 10 9 7
C K 8 5
SOUTH
S 2
H A K 8 7 4 3 2
D 8 5
C A 6 4
South West North East
1 H Pass 1 S Pass
3 H(!) Pass 4 D Pass
5 C(!) Pass 6 H All Pass
Opening lead — C Q
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