Bridge: Aug. 22, 2024

The great Eddie Kantar produced top-quality books and articles for an amazing 70 years. (He was also a world-champion player and notable teacher.) Eddie specialized in instructive problems in play and defense.

Try to beat four hearts as West in today’s Kantar deal. Cover the East/South cards. When you lead the king of spades, East and South follow suit.

What next?

Suppose you lead a low spade. South ruffs and leads a club: three, king, ace. He ruffs the next spade (East has no better defense), draws trumps and leads a diamond. Your ace wins, but South discards a diamond on dummy’s queen of clubs and has no more losers.

TRUMP SHIFT

A trump shift at Trick Two is no better; South can still set up a club trick for a diamond discard. Nor can you prevail by shifting to the ace and a low diamond; South can ruff a diamond in dummy.

To beat four hearts, lead a low diamond at the second trick. Then you can counter anything declarer tries next. Did you find that good defense?

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S A K 5 4 3 H 7 6 D A 10 5 2 C 3 2. Your partner opens one heart, you bid one spade and he rebids two hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner’s second bid promises six or more hearts. If he had a five-card suit, he could always find a more descriptive second bid: 1NT with balanced pattern, two of a minor suit or a raise to two spades. Since you have 11 prime points and a possible ruffing feature in clubs, raise to four hearts.

West dealer

Both sides vulnerable

NORTH

S J 8 6 2

H 3

D K Q

C K Q 10 9 8 4

WEST

S A K 5 4 3

H 7 6

D A 10 5 2

C 3 2

EAST

S Q 10 9

H 10 5 2

D 7 6 4

C A J 7 6

SOUTH

S 7

H A K Q J 9 8 4

D J 9 8 3

C 5

West North East South
1 S 2 C 2 S 4 H
All Pass
Opening lead — S K

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