FRANK STEWART BRIDGE

HANGING BY A THREAD

“Well, that was a cliff-dweller.” — Major League Baseball manager Wes Westrum, after a game that went down to the last pitch.

Today’s South took a wild shot, reaching a slam that hung by a thread. West led a club, and South played low from dummy, hoping the lead was not a singleton. East took the king and shifted to a low heart; declarer’s ace won.

South saw a thread of a chance. He took the A-Q of trumps, ruffed a heart, drew West’s last trump and cashed one more trump, pitching a diamond from dummy. South then took the queen, ace and ten of clubs. Last Trump

With three tricks to go, dummy had the J-9 of hearts and ace of diamonds, and declarer had a trump and the Q-10 of diamonds.

East was finished. If he bared his king of diamonds, South would cash the ace and score his last trump and the queen of diamonds. When instead East saved the king of hearts and two diamonds, South ruffed a heart, and dummy won the last two tricks with the ace of diamonds and a good heart.

Daily Question

You hold: ♠ Q 8 2 ♥ J 9 7 2 ♦ A 5 ♣ A 10 7 5. Your partner opens one diamond, you respond one heart and he bids one spade. What do you say?

Answer: At your second turn as responder, try to place the contract or suggest a contract by limiting your strength. Bid 2NT, showing about 11 points, balanced pattern and tricks in the unbid suit. A bid of two clubs would be unnecessary; even if partner has three-card heart support, you don’t need to hear about it.

North dealer

N-S vulnerable