Bridge: Jan. 9, 2020

Unlucky Louie says that if at first you don’t succeed, you and he have a lot in common. Louie blames his miserable results on bad luck despite all the evidence to the contrary.

Louie was today’s South in a penny game at my club. Against his six spades, West led the ace of clubs and continued with the queen. Louie discarded a heart on dummy’s king and drew trumps. He next led a heart to dummy’s ace and returned a heart, finessing with the jack. West produced the queen to defeat the slam.

“My finesses never win,” Louie mourned. North mourned also — over the loss of 980 points.

DISCARD

Louie tried the wrong finesse, After he draws trumps, he should take the K-A of hearts. The queen doesn’t fall, but Louie isn’t done: He can lead a diamond to his jack. When that finesse wins, Louie takes the king, goes to dummy with a trump and discards his last heart on the ace of diamonds.

Combining chances is a common theme in dummy play. Louie would do better if he applied it.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S K 10 9 H A 7 3 2 D A 3 2 C K 8 3. You open one club, your partner responds one spade, you bid 1NT and he jumps to three clubs. What do you say?

ANSWER: Your partner’s jump-preference may be forcing or invitational — partnerships agree to treat it differently — but you should bid three spades. You have a sound hand and can accept an invitation, and your first obligation is to show three-card support for his suit.

North dealer

Neither side vulnerable

NORTH

S K 10 9

H A 7 3 2

D A 3 2

C K 8 3

WEST

S J 7

H Q 8 4

D 8 7 6 5

C A Q J 4

EAST

S 5 4

H 10 9

D Q 10 9 4

C 10 9 6 5 2

SOUTH

S A Q 8 6 3 2

H K J 6 5

D K J

C 7

North East South West

1 C Pass 1 S Pass

1 NT Pass 3 H Pass

4 H Pass 4 S Pass

5 D Pass 6 S All Pass

Opening lead — C A

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