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For all his bridge-table shortcomings, Unlucky Louie is a doting papa. He finds time to spend with his little daughter.
“We did a jigsaw puzzle,” Louie told me. “I don’t want to brag, but we finished in one afternoon, and the box said 4 to 6 years.”
| Dlr: South | ♠ Q 7 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Vul: N-S | ♥ Q 10 8 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ♦ K 5 4 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ♣ 8 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ♠ K 10 8 5 | ♠ J 9 3 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ♥ 7 4 | ♥ 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ♦ J 9 7 | ♦ A 8 6 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ♣ Q 10 6 2 | ♣ J 9 7 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ♠ A 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ♥ A K J 6 5 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ♦ Q 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ♣ A K 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Opening lead — ♣2
Louie is better at jigsaw puzzles than at problem-solving in bridge. When he was today’s East, West led the ♣2 against 6♥. South won, led a trump to dummy’s 10 and returned the ♦3. Louie played low, and the queen won.
Spade Loser
South next led a trump to dummy and returned a second low diamond. Louie stewed … and finally took his ace. South then pitched his spade loser on the ♦K and made the slam.
Louie’s problem was solvable. South’s ♦Q couldn’t be a singleton. If West had J-10-9-7, his opening lead would have been a diamond from his sequence, not a club from a broken suit. And if South held Q-J doubleton, he had 12 tricks.
Daily Question
You hold:
♠ K 10 8 5
♥ 7 4
♦ J 9 7
♣ Q 10 6 2
The dealer, at your left, opens 1♦. Your partner doubles, you respond 1♠ and he raises to 3♠. What do you say?