A club player came to me with a complaint I’ve heard before.
“Do you ever feel like your brain is giving you the silent treatment?” he asked me. “I must be the world’s worst guesser. I always seem to go wrong.”
My friend had played at today’s 3NT, and West led the deuce of spades: three, king, ace. South led a diamond to dummy’s queen, and East won and returned a spade.
“I took the queen,” South told me, “and led another diamond. When West threw a heart, I won in dummy and next led the A-K and a third club. When West followed low, I put up the queen. East discarded, and I took only eight tricks. Anybody else would have gotten the clubs right.”
ONE DIAMOND
South should guess right. West’s lead of the deuce of spades suggested a four-card holding, and West had only one diamond. But with a five-card suit, he would have led that suit against 3NT.
South should place West with 4-4-1-4 distribution and play dummy’s ten on the third club.
This week: good guessing.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: S K 10 8 H K J 10 D K 10 9 6 3 C 9 8. Your partner opens one club, you respond one diamond and he bids one spade. The opponents pass. What do you say?
ANSWER: This is a judgment call. Your hand sits on the fence between a bid of 1NT and a game-invitational jump to 2NT. In my judgment, game chances with this hand are too strong not to invite. You have a five-card suit and excellent spot cards that may be a factor at notrump. Bid 2NT.
South dealer
N-S vulnerable
NORTH
S 7 4 3
H 9 5
D A Q J 5
C Q 10 3 2
WEST
S J 9 6 2
H Q 6 4 3
D 8
C J 7 6 4
EAST
S K 10 8
H K J 10
D K 10 9 6 3
C 9 8
SOUTH
S A Q 5
H A 8 7 2
D 7 4 2
C A K 5
South West North East
1 NT Pass 3 NT All Pass
Opening lead — S 2
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