MONDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2010


BRIDGE N-S VULNERABLE


NORTH (D) ♠ K J 7 ♥ Q 4 ♦ J 7 6 4 ♣ A K Q 6


WEST ♠ 8 6 5 4 2 ♥ K 6 2 ♦ 10 9 8 3 ♣ 5


SOUTH ♠ A Q 10 9 3 ♥ A J 10 9 5 ♦ A ♣ 8 2


The bidding:


NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST 1 NT 4 ♠


Pass Pass


“O


3 ♠ 6 ♠


Opening Lead — ♦ 10


n the Twelfth Day of Christmas,


at last Dad licked his lips. The guests are gone, the


turkey too. We dined on fish and


chips.” My club was back in busi-


ness after the holidays, and Unlucky Louie tried his luck in a penny game. As South he restrained himself and stopped at six spades. He took the ace of diamonds and led a trump to dummy — and East discarded. Louie next passed the


queen of hearts, and West won and led another dia- mond. Louie ruffed and couldn’t draw trumps; he ran the hearts. On the fourth heart West threw his club, and Louie was sunk. West discarded again on the fifth heart and had to get a club ruff.


“Business as usual,” Louie


sighed. “A 5-0 trump break and a losing finesse.” After Louie ruffs the sec-


ond diamond, he must cash one high club, then run the hearts. If West ruffs, dummy overruffs, and Louie draws trumps and finishes his win- ners. If West never ruffs, Louie discards all of dummy’s clubs and crossruffs for the rest. DAILY QUESTION You hold: ♠ K J 7 ♥ Q 4 ♦ J 7 6 4 ♣ A K Q 6 You open 1NT, your partner


bids three spades, you raise to four spades and he tries five hearts. What do you say? ANSWER: Partner’s five


hearts is an ace-showing cue bid, and you must judge whether to bid slam. Since you have good trump sup- port, winners in clubs and a (probably) useful queen of hearts, bid six spades. Even if a diamond lead will beat it, the opening leader must find that lead.


— F rank Stewart © 2010, TRIBUNE MEDIA SYNDICATE


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EAST ♠ None ♥ 8 7 3 ♦ K Q 5 2 ♣ J 10 9 7 4 3


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BREWSTER ROCKIT: SPACE GUY!


TIM RICKARD


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