MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2010
BRIDGE
N-S VULNERABLE
NORTH
♠ K 6 3 2 ♥ A 6 4 ♦ A 5 2 ♣ 8 6 3
WEST
♠ J 9 8 7 5 ♥ 10 8 ♦ 9 7 ♣ Q 10 5 2
EAST
♠ Q 10 ♥ K Q 9 ♦ J 10 8 3 ♣ A J 9 4
SOUTH (D)
♠ A 4 ♥ J 7 5 3 2 ♦ K Q 6 4 ♣ K 7
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH
1 ♥ 2 ♦ 4 ♥
Pass Pass
All Pass
Opening Lead — ♣ 2
C
y the Cynic, who hates giving money to the
government, says that nothing is more permanent than a “temporary” tax. He may be right; still, I never expect to see declarers stop mishandling trumps. In today’s deal, East
took the ace of clubs and returned a club. South won, led a trump to dum- my’s ace and returned a trump, and East took the queen and hastily cashed the king. East next led a third
club. South ruffed, took the A-K of spades and ruffed a spade with his last trump. He cashed his three top diamonds, but East’s jack won the 13th trick. Down one.
South easily makes his game if he handles the trump suit carefully. On the first trump he must play low from dummy. East wins and returns a club, and South ruffs and takes the ace of trumps. When both defenders follow suit, South starts the diamonds, ignoring the missing high trump. The defenders can’t stop him from ruffing his fourth diamond in dummy to assure the contract. This week: managing
your trump suit.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: ♠ Q 10 ♥ K Q 9 ♦ J 10 8 3 ♣ A J 9 4 You open one club, your
partner responds one spade, you bid 1NT and he raises to 2NT. The oppo- nents pass. What do you say?
ANSWER: This hand con-
tains 13 high-card points and therefore is nearer to minimum strength. Nevertheless, the hand is stronger because the intermediate spot cards are impressive. You have two tens and two nines, all of which may be helpful at notrump. To bid 3NT is clear.
— Frank Stewart
© 2010, TRIBUNE MEDIA SYNDICATE
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SUDOKU
SHERMAN’S LAGOON
JIM TOOMEY DEAN YOUNG & JOHN MARSHALL SALLY FORTH FRANCESCO MARCIULIANO & CRAIG MACINTOSH
HAGAR THE HORRIBLE
CHRIS BROWNE BALDO HECTOR CANTU & CARLOS CASTELLANOS
RHYMES WITH ORANGE HILARY PRICE MARK TRAIL
JACK ELROD
CLASSIC PEANUTS
CHARLES SCHULZ
PICKLES
BRIAN CRANE
FRANK AND ERNEST TOM THAVES GET FUZZY
DARBY CONLEY
1 ♠ 3 ♥
EAST
Pass Pass
MUTTS
KLMNO
PATRICK MCDONNELL DILBERT
R
C7
SCOTT ADAMS
RED AND ROVER
BRIAN BASSET AGNES
TONY COCHRAN
LIO
MARK TATULLI MOTHER GOOSE & GRIMM
MIKE PETERS
CURTIS
RAY BILLINGSLEY
BREWSTER ROCKIT: SPACE GUY!
TIM RICKARD
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