Bridge: April 19, 2024

“It would be a boon,” Cy the Cynic told me, “to have two alarm clocks: one you set on Friday night, and it won’t go off until Monday morning; one to rouse you when you need to be awake at Trick One.”

Cy was today’s North, and against five hearts, West led the king of spades. South threw a club on dummy’s ace, drew trumps and let the jack of diamonds ride. East took the queen and led a club: jack, queen. West returned a diamond, and when South finessed again, East’s king won. Down one.

“Partner needed an alarm clock — or something to wake him,” Cy grumbled.

FIRST SPADE

South can play low from dummy on the first spade and pitch a diamond, preparing an end play. Say West shifts to a diamond. South takes the ace and throws his last diamond on the ace of spades. He ruffs a diamond, leads a trump to dummy and ruffs a diamond.

South then leads a trump to dummy and returns a club to his ten. When West wins, he must return a club to South’s A-J or yield a fatal ruff-sluff.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S A 9 H K 10 9 2 D A 9 4 C 7 4 3 2. Your side is vulnerable. The dealer, at your left, opens two diamonds (weak). Your partner doubles, and the next player bids three diamonds. What do you say?

ANSWER: You might beat three diamonds a couple, but you can do better by making a vulnerable game, and your chances are bright. Partner has more than opening values and probably has support for the unbid suits. Bid four hearts.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable

NORTH

S A 9

H K 10 9 2

D A 9 4

C 7 4 3 2

WEST

S K Q 10 7 4

H 4

D 7 6 3

C K Q 8 5

EAST

S J 8 6 5 3 2

H 3

D K Q 8 2

C 9 6

SOUTH

S None

H A Q J 8 7 6 5

D J 10 5

C A J 10

South West North East
1 H 1 S 3 H 4 S
5 H All Pass
Opening lead — S K

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