“That grapefruit must be dog tired at night,” one clubber told me. “After all, he growls all day.”
Grapefruit owns and operates a sour tongue; he slanders his partners mercilessly. He was east in a penny game, and against four hearts, West led the king of spades.
South took the Ace and sent the Jack of Trumps to West’s Queen. West discarded his queen of spades and club of trumps and led a third spade, and South checked out and drew the missing trump. He made his play when West’s club queen succumbed, and Grapefruit said that West deserved to have fleas from a hundred camels infest his nose.
TWO SPADES
West could conclude that South only had two spades or he would have made the first move to maintain control. West can see a spade trick and two trumps, but he needs a diamond. To prevent South from using dummy’s clubs to roll, West leads a club on Trick Four.
South can win and lead a trump to West’s ace, but then a second club kills dummy. South loses another trick.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: SKQ 10 4 HAQ 3 D 9 7 4 2 CQ 6. Your partner opens a spade and you call 2NT, a conventional forcing raise. He bids three diamonds. What are you saying?
ANSWER: After your 2NT, partner’s bid for a new suit shows a single there. The idea is to help you judge the fit. If you had KQ104,J64,KQ42,Q6, with “wasted” diamonds, you would call with four spades. With your actual hand, you can encourage the slam. Cue bid three hearts.
North dealer
Both sides vulnerable
NORTH
SA 9
HJ 4
D 8 5 3
CAKJ 9 5 3
WEST
SKQ 10 4
HAQ 3
D 9 7 4 2
CQ 6
EAST
SJ 7 6 5 2
H 6 5
DJ 10
C 10 7 4
SOUTH
S 8 3
HK 10 9 8 7 2
DAK 6
C 8 2
Northeast Southwest
1 C Pass 1 H Pass
2 C Pass 3 H Pass
4 H All Pass
Opening line — SK
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