Bridge: Nov. 2, 2023

“The man would drive up to the gates of Heaven — and honk,” Rose told me in exasperation. She meant Unlucky Louie, whose inability to play with deliberation is often his downfall.

“We were East-West in a penny game,” Rose said. “I led a heart against four spades, and Louie took the ace and led the jack. Declarer ruffed, drew trumps and let the ten of diamonds ride.

“When Louie won, he gave the matter his usual one second of thought and … led a club. Declarer placed me with the ace — I needed something for my raise to two hearts — so he played low and made his game.”

CLUB TRICK

Louie knows that South has five spade tricks and four diamonds. South needs a club trick to make his four spades, so Louie need not break the clubs; he should return a diamond, and South must attack the clubs himself and lose two more tricks for down one.

Another way to look at it is that after South runs the diamonds, he will still have two clubs left in his hand. East can defend passively.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S A K 7 5 H K 6 D A Q J 7 4 C J 6. You open one diamond, your partner bids one spade, you raise to three spades and he tries four clubs. What do you say?

ANSWER: If partner wanted to play at four spades, he would have bid it. His four clubs is an ace-showing cue bid to try for slam. Your hand could be no better; some players would have raised to four spades. Cue-bid four diamonds. Even if partner signs off at game, you will bid again.

North dealer

Neither side vulnerable

NORTH

S A K 7 5

H K 6

D A Q J 7 4

C J 6

WEST

S 8 4

H 10 8 5 3 2

D 8 3 2

C A 7 5

EAST

S 9 3

H A Q J 7 4

D K 5

C Q 10 4 2

SOUTH

S Q J 10 6 2

H 9

D 10 9 6

C K 9 8 3

North East South West
1 D 1 H 1 S 2 H
4 S All Pass
Opening lead — H 3

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