Bridge: Dec. 26, 2023

You can lead a man to ponder, but you can’t make him think. Judging by today’s deal, neither can you make him count.

South played at four hearts when 3NT by North would have been unbeatable. Maybe North should have bid 2NT at his second turn; his king of spades figured to be worthless at a heart contract.

East won the second spade with the nine and continued with the ace. South ruffed with the ace of trumps — West threw a club — and next drew trumps with dummy’s honors. South then came to his king of diamonds and returned a club to dummy’s king.

DOWN ONE

East took the ace and returned a club. South took his queen, cashed the ace of diamonds, led a third diamond … and put up dummy’s queen. East showed out, and South lost a second club. Down one.

South should have cashed his last trump at the end – West would be squeezed – and South also forgot to count. He knew East had started with six spades, three trumps and two clubs. Unless East had held 14 cards, to play dummy’s ten on the third diamond was sure to land the contract.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S 7 4 H A 9 7 6 2 D A K 6 C Q 10 6. You open one heart, your partner responds one spade, you bid 1NT and he jumps to three hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: If your partner had a hand such as AK962,QJ5,54,874 (a hand slightly too strong to raise to two hearts), he could have bid two hearts at his second turn. You could infer that he had 10 or so points since he didn’t raise directly. His actual sequence is forcing. Bid four hearts.

North dealer

N-S vulnerable

NORTH

S K 8 2

H K Q J

D Q 10 7 5

C K 5 4

WEST

S 10 6

H 10 4

D J 9 8 4

C J 9 7 3 2

EAST

S A Q J 9 5 3

H 8 5 3

D 3 2

C A 8

SOUTH

S 7 4

H A 9 7 6 2

D A K 6

C Q 10 6

North East South West
1 D 1 S 2 H Pass
3 H Pass 4 H All Pass
Opening lead — S 10

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