C8 Thursday, July 16, 2009
BRIDGE
BOTH SIDES VULNERABLE
NORTH
♠ 8 5 ♥ 10 7 4 2 ♦ A 9 6 3 ♣ K 5 4
WEST
♠ 10 9 4 2
♥ 3
♦ Q 10 5 4 ♣ 10 8 7 2
SOUTH
♠ Q J 7 6 3 ♥ A Q 5 ♦ K J 7 ♣ A Q
The bidding:
EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH
1 ♥ Dbl
Pass
Opening Lead — ♣ 2
countless times as a les- son in card-reading and as a tribute to the skill of the great Helen Sobel. Sobel played at 3NT in
T
a duplicate event. West led the deuce of clubs, and Sobel took the ace. What did she lead at Trick 2? Sobel expected West’s
pattern to be 4-1-4-4, else he’d have had a five-card suit from which to lead. Since East’s opening bid marked him with all the high honors, Sobel played him for the doubleton A-K of spades — and led a low spade! East won and led
another club, and Sobel won and led a second low spade. She won East’s club return in dummy, led a heart to her queen and ran the spades for an overtrick. I think declarer’s play
was not a sure thing. After North bid diamonds (and South’s double suggested diamond support), might not West have avoided a diamond lead from a hand such as 10 9 4, 3, Q 10 5 4 2, 10 8 7 2? But that’s how Helen Sobel earned her reputation: She could sniff out a winning line of play.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: ♠ Q J 7 6 3 ♥ A Q 5 ♦ K J 7 ♣ A Q. With only your side
vulnerable, the dealer, at your right, opens three hearts. What do you say?
ANSWER: Your
opponent’s preempt forces you to take a chance: You must assume your partner has a few values. If you double, he may respond in a minor suit at the level of four. If you overcall three spades, he may pass, thinking that your hand is not quite so strong. Bid 3NT, your most likely game contract.
— Frank Stewart
© 2009, TRIBUNE MEDIA SYNDICATE
BLONDIE
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SUDOKU
MEDIUM
Answers to today's Sudoku and Scrabble Grams puzzles can be found tomorrow on the preceding page.
SHERMAN’S LAGOON
JIM TOOMEY DEAN YOUNG
SALLY FORTH
FRANCESCO MARCIULIANO
HAGAR THE HORRIBLE
CHRIS BROWNE
BALDO
CANTU & CASTELLANOS
RHYMES WITH ORANGE
HILARY PRICE
MARK TRAIL
JACK ELROD
CLASSIC PEANUTS
CHARLES M. SCHULZ
PICKLES
BRIAN CRANE
oday’s deal has appeared in print
2 ♦
Pass 2 NT Pass 3 NT All Pass
FRANK AND ERNEST
BOB THAVES
GET FUZZY
DARBY CONLEY
EAST (D)
♠ A K ♥ K J 9 8 6 ♦ 8 2 ♣ J 9 6 3
MUTTS
R
PATRICK MCDONNELL
DILBERT
The Washington Post
SCOTT ADAMS
RED AND ROVER
BRIAN BASSET
AGNES
TONY COCHRAN
LIO
MARK TATULLI
MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM
MIKE PETERS
CURTIS
RAY BILLINGSLEY
BREWSTER ROCKIT: SPACE GUY!
TIM RICKARD
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