“My wife is always urging me to try to avoid ‘accidents’ when we play,” one of my club’s seniors told me. “She says spare parts are no longer stocked for someone my age. Still, those accidents seem to keep coming.”
My friend was today’s declarer at 3NT in a team match.
“West led the six of spades,” he told me, “and I had to decide whether to play dummy’s queen or three. When I tried the three, East took the jack and led a club: deuce, king, queen. West then led another spade — queen, king — and back came a second club.”
DOWN TWO
“I took the ace,” South said, “and had to guess the queen of hearts. I played West for the queen — and went down two. My wife, who had held 16 points, said that my dummy play was an accident waiting to happen.”
South’s problems began when he played low from dummy on the first spade. To assure nine tricks, he takes the ace, leads a heart to his king and lets the ten ride. He is sure of at least four hearts, three diamonds, a club and a spade.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: S A Q 3 H A J 8 5 2 D K 5 4 2 C Q. You open one heart, and your partner bids one spade. What do you say?
ANSWER: No direct spade raise is correct. Bid two diamonds. If partner returns to two hearts, bid two spades, showing extra strength with three-card support. (With a minimum hand, you would pass two hearts or would have raised directly to two spades.) If instead he raises to three diamonds or bids 2NT, you will bid three spades, forcing.
South dealer
N-S vulnerable
NORTH
S A Q 3
H A J 8 5 2
D K 5 4 2
C Q
WEST
S 6 5 2
H 7 6
D J 9 8 7
C K J 9 5
EAST
S K J 9 8
H Q 4 3
D 10 6
C 8 7 6 3
SOUTH
S 10 7 4
H K 10 9
D A Q 3
C A 10 4 2
South West North East
1 C Pass 1 H Pass
1 NT Pass 3 NT All Pass
Opening lead — S 6
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Originally published at Frank Stewart