FRANK STEWART BRIDGE

WHOM DO YOU TRUST

Cy the Cynic says you shouldn’t trust staircases; they’re always up to something. An expert declarer is capable of creating illusions. Today’s North doubled West’s threeheart preempt for takeout, and South leaped indelicately to a slam that had the slight flaw of missing the A-K of trumps. No doubt he should have bid more discreetly. When West led the jack of hearts, South took the ace. He could have led a club to dummy to return the queen of trumps, hoping East would cover with K-2.

Instead, South tried a different ruse. He led a club to dummy, threw a diamond on the king of hearts and continued with the queen.

Discard

It looked to East as if South lacked the ace of diamonds and wanted to pitch his low diamonds before he led trumps.

So East ruffed the third heart with his deuce. Declarer overruffed and led a trump, and a loud crash ensued as the A-K fell together. Making six.

East may have suspected that South was up to something. Should East have been fooled?

Daily Question

You hold: ♠ Q986 ♥ KQ6 ♦ K Q 10

5 2 ♣ A. You open one diamond, your partner responds one heart, you bid one spade and he tries 1NT. What do you say?

Answer: A bid of two hearts is enough. Since you would not bid a third time with a minimum hand, you promise extra strength and game interest. Your partner can take it from there. With Q 9 8 6, K

7 5, K Q 10 5, A 4, you would pass; you could not know a contract of two hearts would be superior to 1NT.

West dealer

N-S vulnerable