Bridge: April 2, 2024

“I play bridge with my wife,” a fan writes, “when she can’t find anyone else. I told her that you often write about learning from mistakes — and I make plenty.”

My fan was declarer at four hearts. West led the deuce of clubs.

“I took the ace,” my fan writes, “and led a trump. East captured dummy’s queen and led a high club. I ruffed, but West overruffed and led a spade. When East won, he led another club, and I was stuck. Whatever I did, West would win another trump trick for down one.”

THREE CLUBS

“My wife fussed at me for not passing East’s three clubs; she would double, and we would mangle the contract. Then she fussed at me for going down at four hearts.

“I told my wife that mistakes should be embraced. She got up from the table and gave me a big hug.”

I can’t blame South for bidding four hearts, but when East leads a high club at Trick Three, South must discard his queen of spades. He ruffs the next club, and though West can overruff, South has the rest.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S K J 5 2 H Q D A K J C 10 7 5 4 3. Your partner opens one diamond, you respond two clubs, he rebids two diamonds and you try two spades. Partner then bids three clubs. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner’s bidding is not encouraging, but you should have a game. Bid three diamonds. Since you already made two strength-showing bids, partner should treat that bid as forcing. He should bid five diamonds with a hand such as A7,765,Q109652,AQ.

East dealer

N-S vulnerable

NORTH

S K J 5 2

H Q

D A K J

C 10 7 5 4 3

WEST

S 10 9 8 7 4

H 10 8 7 3

D 7 4 2

C 2

EAST

S A 6 3

H A

D 8 5 3

C K Q J 9 8 6

SOUTH

S Q

H K J 9 6 5 4 2

D Q 10 9 6

C A

East South West North
1 C 1 H Pass 2 C
3 C 4 H All Pass
Opening lead — C 2

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