Bridge: Feb. 24, 2023

The most dangerous falsehoods are truths slightly distorted. If you believe in the adage “eight ever, nine never,” you’re being misled.

At today’s four spades, dummy played low on the first heart. East won and returned a heart, and South was relieved when his queen held. He next attacked the diamonds: diamond to the ace, diamond ruff. Declarer next took the K-A of trumps — and “nine never” failed him: East discarded.

South ruffed another diamond, led a heart to the ace and ruffed a diamond, but then he had to lead the ace and a low club. West rose with the queen(!), took his high trump and led a club to East’s king. Down one.

SECOND TRUMP

Regardless of “eight ever, nine never,” South should play dummy’s jack on the second trump. When the jack wins, South ruffs a diamond, leads a trump to the ace and ruffs a diamond to set up dummy’s fifth diamond. Making five.

If East had the queen of trumps, South would still be safe for 10 tricks. He could ruff his third club in dummy.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S A J 6 H A 7 2 D A J 8 5 4 C 9 8. Your partner opens one club, you respond one diamond and he bids one spade. What do you say?

ANSWER: You can commit to game, and to jump to 3NT might work. But partner’s hand is not well-defined, and if he has a heart holding such as Q-x, a notrump contract will be safer if he is declarer. Bid two hearts, a “fourth-suit” call that doesn’t promise hearts but asks him to make another descriptive bid.

North dealer

N-S vulnerable

NORTH

S A J 6

H A 7 2

D A J 8 5 4

C 9 8

WEST

S Q 8 4

H 8 3

D Q 9 7

C Q 10 5 4 3

EAST

S 5

H K J 9 6 4

D K 10 3 2

C K J 2

SOUTH

S K 10 9 7 3 2

H Q 10 5

D 6

C A 7 6

North East South West
1 D 1 H 1 S Pass
2 S Pass 4 S All Pass
Opening lead — H 8

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