Bridge: Sept. 2, 2024

If you’re like many people, the stuff you put off doing until tomorrow got the same treatment yesterday. But it may be best to wait to draw trumps.

Today’s North-South bid well to five clubs. When North bid two spades, he couldn’t have spades; he showed club support and a hand much improved by South’s second bid.

West led a trump, and South promptly drew trumps. He took the A-K of hearts and ruffed a heart — and was in trouble when East showed out.

FIFTH HEART

Declarer returned a third trump to his hand and ruffed another heart to set up his fifth heart. He led a fourth trump to his hand and pitched dummy’s spade loser on the good heart, but then he lost three diamonds.

South succeeds if he starts the hearts at Trick Two: A-K, heart ruff with the queen of trumps, trump to his hand, heart ruff. He could return with a trump, discard dummy’s spade loser on his good fifth heart and lead a diamond. South would still have a trump in his hand to ruff dummy’s third diamond.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S 9 5 H A K J 5 2 D 10 6 C A K J 10. You open one heart, your partner responds two diamonds, you bid three clubs and he rebids three diamonds. What do you say?

ANSWER: Your three clubs was a “high reverse” and promised extra strength. Partner may have long diamonds but minimum values for a two-level response, but he might have a better hand. Raise to four diamonds. If partner cue-bids four spades next, you can bid six diamonds.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable

NORTH

S A J

H 8 3

D J 7 2

C Q 6 5 4 3 2

WEST

S K 8 7 2

H Q 9 6 4

D A 9 5

C 9 8

EAST

S Q 10 6 4 3

H 10 7

D K Q 8 4 3

C 7

SOUTH

S 9 5

H A K J 5 2

D 10 6

C A K J 10

South West North East
1 H Pass 1 NT Pass
2 C Pass 2 S Pass
3 H Pass 5 C All Pass
Opening lead — C 9

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