“My partner is a good player,” a reader’s email states, “but she was absent when they passed out empathy. If I make a mistake, it’s because I’m careless; if she makes one, she’s only human.”
My fan says she held today’s mammoth South hand and rolled into six spades.
“West led the king of clubs,” she says, “and I ruffed and drew trumps. When I took the A-K of hearts next, East discarded. I lost a heart to West and also a diamond. Was I careless, unlucky or only human? I need not tell you what my partner said.”
MISSING TRUMP
Careful play makes the slam. South ruffs the first club high, takes the ace of hearts, leads a trump to dummy and returns a heart. If East ruffs, South plays low and wins the diamond return. She can draw the missing trump and run the hearts to discard dummy’s last diamond.
If East discards on the second heart, South wins, returns a trump to dummy and leads a third heart. If East discards again, South wins, ruffs a heart in dummy and loses only one diamond.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: S 5 H J 10 5 2 D J 8 4 2 C A K 6 2. The dealer, at your left, opens one spade, and two passes follow. What do you say?
ANSWER: You wouldn’t act in the direct seat — if the player at your right had opened — but actions in the “balancing” seat may be shaded. Since your partner surely has some points (otherwise, the opponents would have bid more), don’t sell out. Double. He must realize that you may have a light hand.
South dealer
N-S vulnerable
NORTH
S J 9 8
H 9 7 3
D Q 9
C Q 10 7 4 3
WEST
S 5
H J 10 5 2
D J 8 4 2
C A K 6 2
EAST
S 7 6 2
H 6
D K 7 6 5 3
C J 9 8 5
SOUTH
S A K Q 10 4 3
H A K Q 8 4
D A 10
C None
South West North East
2 C Pass 2 D Pass
2 S Pass 2 NT Pass
3 H Pass 3 S Pass
6 S All Pass
Opening lead — C K
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Originally published at Frank Stewart