“I married a good man,” a fan writes. “He’s a model husband. But when it comes to bridge, he’s just not a working model.”
My fan says her husband was declarer at four hearts.
“He took dummy’s ace of clubs and led the ace and a low trump. East rose with the king and led the nine of spades: deuce, ten, queen. My husband led a trump to his queen and next let the jack of diamonds ride. He expected the finesse to win — West had opened the bidding — but East won and led his last spade, and West got the jack and ace. Down one.”
MISPLAY
“I guess I need to bear my hubby’s misplays. He takes me out to dinner four times a week.”
My fan’s husband might improve his play if he read a book or two. In this deal, he makes four hearts by playing his king of spades on East’s nine. West can win and return the jack, but South takes dummy’s queen, draws trumps and finesses in diamonds. When East wins, he has no more spades, and South can pitch his last spade on a high diamond in dummy.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: S Q 7 3 H A 6 4 D A Q 8 7 C A 10 9. The dealer, at your right, opens one heart. North in today’s deal overcalled 1NT with this hand. Do you agree with that call?
ANSWER: North had 16 points, balanced pattern and a heart trick; still, I dislike 1NT. North lacked a source of winners, his heart stopper might be dislodged easily and his partner might have had nothing. I wouldn’t call overcalling 1NT a mistake, but I would have preferred to double.
West dealer
Both sides vulnerable
NORTH
S Q 7 3
H A 6 4
D A Q 8 7
C A 10 9
WEST
S A J 10 8 4
H J
D 6 3 2
C K Q J 4
EAST
S 9 6
H K 10 9
D K 5 4
C 8 7 5 3 2
SOUTH
S K 5 2
H Q 8 7 5 3 2
D J 10 9
C 6
West North East South
1 S 1 NT Pass 4 H
All Pass
Opening lead — C K
©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Originally published at Frank Stewart