Bridge: Nov. 28, 2023

“So how goes it at your house?” I asked Unlucky Louie. He has seven children residing at home.

“Chaos, as usual,” Louie sighed. “My wife says nobody is more full of false hope than someone who leaves items at the foot of the stairs and expects them to be carried up.”

When Louie is declarer, his play is often based more on hope than on technique or logic. When he played at four spades, he won the first heart with dummy’s ace and led the jack of diamonds for a finesse. West took the king and led another heart.

DOWN ONE

Louie won, frowned, took the ace of diamonds and ruffed his queen to reach dummy. He let the jack of trumps ride, winning, but still had to lose a trump to East’s king plus two clubs. Down one.

Louie’s play wasn’t hopeless, nor was it best. At Trick Two he should lead the five of diamonds to his queen. The finesse loses, but when Louie wins the heart return, he can lead his ten of diamonds to the jack and finesse twice in trumps to pick up East’s king.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S A Q 10 7 5 3 H K 9 D A Q 10 C 7 5. Your partner opens one heart, you respond one spade and he rebids three hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: Your partner’s jump-rebid in his own suit suggests 16 or so high-card points and a good six-card suit. A small slam is likely, a grand slam possible. A direct jump to six hearts might work out. If you want to investigate, rebid three spades, planning to cue-bid the ace of diamonds next.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable

NORTH

S J 6

H A 5 4 2

D J 5

C Q 8 6 4 2

WEST

S 9 4

H J 10 8

D K 8 7 2

C A J 10 3

EAST

S K 8 2

H Q 7 6 3

D 9 6 4 3

C K 9

SOUTH

S A Q 10 7 5 3

H K 9

D A Q 10

C 7 5

South West North East
1 S Pass 1 NT Pass
3 S Pass 4 S All Pass
Opening lead — H J

©2023 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.