This week’s deals have treated a basic technique: setting up a long suit. To test yourself, cover the East-West cards. How will you play at four hearts when West, who overcalled in spades, leads the king?
The actual South took the ace of spades, drew trumps with the A-K, cashed the top diamonds and led a third diamond. No doubt he was hoping West would win, but East took the queen and shifted to the queen of clubs. The defense took two clubs and a spade for down one.
Could you do better as declarer?
FIRST SPADE
South must set up the diamonds but doesn’t want to lose to East, who may shift to clubs. South should duck the first spade. South wins the next spade, leads a trump to dummy, returns the ten of spades and pitches a diamond — a loser on a loser.
West wins and could save a trick by cashing his ace of clubs. If instead he leads a trump, South wins, takes the A-K of diamonds, ruffs a diamond and returns a trump to dummy to discard two clubs on the good diamonds.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: S K Q J 8 2 H 6 4 D J 9 C A 9 7 3. Your partner opens one heart, you bid one spade and he rebids two hearts. What do you say?
ANSWER: This is a difficult judgment call. A bid of three clubs might land you at game even if partner’s hand is a minimum. If he has a minimum with a singleton spade, to pass might be best. Taking a middle course is reasonable: Since partner’s two hearts shows a six-card or longer suit, you can raise to three hearts.
South dealer
N-S vulnerable
NORTH
S 10 7 4
H K J 8
D A K 5 4 2
C 6 2
WEST
S K Q J 8 2
H 6 4
D J 9
C A 9 7 3
EAST
S 9 6 5
H 7 3
D Q 10 8
C Q J 10 5 4
SOUTH
S A 3
H A Q 10 9 5 2
D 7 6 3
C K 8
South West North East
1 H 1 S 2 D Pass
2 H Pass 3 H Pass
4 H All Pass
Opening lead — S K
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