Bridge: March 6, 2024

“I’d love to teach her a lesson,” Alice muttered.

As the game at the Mad Hatter’s went on, the Queen of Hearts grew more blustery, insisting that she was the most potent card in Wonderland.

“No ace or king dares capture me,” the Queen snorted.

The Hatter became declarer at today’s 3NT, and Alice led the jack of spades as West. East, the Dormouse, discouraged with the deuce, and the Hatter won and led the queen of diamonds.

DIAMONDS

Alice took the king and pondered. The contract was surely cold if the Hatter held the king of hearts, but even if East had it, Alice needed to stop South from using dummy’s diamonds. So as the only hope, Alice shifted to … the queen of hearts!

The Hatter played low from dummy — he would lose his head if he won with the ace — but he was doomed. Alice led a second heart: jack, king, seven. The Dormouse led a third heart to the ace, and the diamonds were dead. Down the Hatter went.

Only the lead of the queen of hearts beats 3NT.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S A K Q H 10 7 6 D Q 8 C A K 10 7 3. You open one club, and your partner bids one diamond. In today’s deal, South jumped to 2NT next with this hand. Do you agree with that call?

ANSWER: I don’t like it, with no strength in hearts, but 2NT would be the choice of many experts since it describes the hand’s strength and pattern. No good option exists. Some players might bid one spade, pretending that the A-K-Q amount to a four-card suit.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable

NORTH

S 7 4 3

H A J 5

D J 10 9 6 5 3

C 5

WEST

S J 10 9 6

H Q 9 3 2

D A K

C J 6 2

EAST

S 8 5 2

H K 8 4

D 7 4 2

C Q 9 8 4

SOUTH

S A K Q

H 10 7 6

D Q 8

C A K 10 7 3

South West North East
1 C Pass 1 D Pass
2 NT Pass 3 D Pass
3 S Pass 3 NT All Pass
Opening lead — S J

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