Bridge: Dec. 19, 2023

“Dickens didn’t have enough ghosts in `A Christmas Carol,’” my friend the English professor told me pedantically in the club lounge. “There should have been a ghost of Christmas future perfect subjunctive to show Scrooge what would have happened were he not to have changed his ways.”

When you’re declarer, you get one chance, so consider before you play. Today’s North-South reached a shaky slam when both players bid too aggressively. South took the ace of clubs and led a trump to his jack. He went to the jack of diamonds, led a second trump to his queen and took the ace.

FIFTH DIAMOND

Declarer next took the A-K of diamonds. With a 4-3 break, he could have pitched all of dummy’s hearts and ruffed a heart, losing one heart at the end. As it was, he had to ruff his fifth diamond and lost two hearts when West had the A-Q.

Things will happen differently if declarer starts the diamonds before he takes the ace of trumps. He discards three hearts from dummy on the A-K-Q, then leads the king of hearts. West wins and leads a club. Declarer ruffs, ruffs his last diamond in dummy, ruffs a club, ruffs his last heart with dummy’s last trump.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S 7 6 5 3 H J 10 8 3 D J C A 9 6 2. Both sides vulnerable. Your partner opens one heart, and the next player doubles. What do you say?

ANSWER: To raise to three hearts would be reasonable. That action would be preemptive. With a good hand you would offer a redouble or some conventional call. Many players would bid three hearts with a rather weaker hand: 7653,J1083,5,K962. Hence they might prefer to bid two hearts, intending to compete to the three level to suggest a more promising hand.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable

NORTH

S 7 6 5 3

H J 10 8 3

D J

C A 9 6 2

WEST

S 8

H A Q 6 2

D 8 4

C Q J 10 8 7 3

EAST

S K 10 2

H 9 7 4

D 10 9 7 5 3

C K 5

SOUTH

S A Q J 9 4

H K 5

D A K Q 6 2

C 4

South West North East
1 S 2 C 2 S Pass
4 D Pass 5 C Pass
6 S All Pass
Opening lead – C Q

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