Bridge: April 1, 2024

A true optimist is somebody who expects his ship to come in when he never sent one out. That about sums up South’s play at today’s four spades.

West led the deuce of clubs, which looked, waddled and quacked like a singleton; still, declarer took the queen, drew trumps and led another club. He hoped to run the clubs for two overtricks, but when West discarded, South took only the nine tricks with which he’d begun.

After South wins the first trick, he can take one high trump in his hand, but to deal with 4-1 breaks in both black suits, he next leads a club toward dummy.

HIGH TRUMP

To ruff doesn’t help West, so dummy wins. South then ruffs a club high, leads a trump to dummy’s jack and discards a diamond on the ace of clubs.

West ruffs, and the defense takes the A-K of hearts. South wins a diamond shift, draws West’s remaining trump with the ace, and discards his last low diamond on a good club in dummy. He wins the last two tricks with the sixth club and his last trump.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S 3 H A 10 4 2 D Q J 6 5 C J 10 9 6. Your partner opens one diamond, you respond one heart, he bids one spade and you return to two diamonds. Partner then bids three clubs. What do you say?

ANSWER: Your two-diamond preference was conservative; your hand was almost worth a jump to three diamonds (assuming that bid would be only invitational). Partner is still interested in game, and your values appear to be ideal. Bid five diamonds.

North dealer

N-S vulnerable

NORTH

S A J 5

H J 5

D 8 4

C A K 8 5 4 3

WEST

S 8 7 6 4

H K 9 7 3

D K 9 7 3

C 2

EAST

S 3

H A 10 4 2

D Q J 6 5

C J 10 9 6

SOUTH

S K Q 10 9 2

H Q 8 6

D A 10 2

C Q 7

North East South West
1 C Pass 1 S Pass
2 S Pass 4 S All Pass
Opening lead — C 2

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