Bridge: Aug. 11, 2023

Today’s deal arose in the 1969 Bermuda Bowl in Rio and stirs memories for me though I certainly wasn’t involved. In 1968 I was in Korea in the Army and wound up on a team representing Korea in the Far East Championship in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Australia won but couldn’t attend the World Championship, so Taiwan’s team went — and finished second. I remember playing against Australia, whom we actually beat, and Taiwan, who murdered us.

Declarer at 3NT was Gerard Desrousseaux of France. West led a heart, and East took the ace and returned a heart. South won and needed the next eight tricks. He cashed five clubs, and East discarded three diamonds.

MAKING THREE

South next led a spade: queen, king, four. On the next spade, East played low, and South … put up his ace, dropping West’s jack. Making three.

I suspect that declarer guessed right in spades because East never discarded one on the run of the clubs. If East had held five spades, he surely would have pitched one.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S A 10 3 2 H K Q D 9 5 C A K Q 7 6. You open one club, your partner bids one spade, you raise to three spades and he tries four diamonds. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner’s four diamonds is a control-showing cue bid to suggest slam. If he were content to play at four spades, he would have bid it. Your hand is worth one slam move. Cue-bid four hearts. If partner signs off at four spades, pass; there may be a hole in your trump suit.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable

NORTH

S K 8 5

H 7 5

D K J 7 6 2

C J 8 2

WEST

S Q J

H J 9 8 4 3 2

D Q 3

C 5 4 3

EAST

S 9 7 6 4

H A 10 6

D A 10 8 4

C 10 9

SOUTH

S A 10 3 2

H K Q

D 9 5

C A K Q 7 6

South West North East
1 C Pass 1 D Pass
1 S Pass 2 C Pass
2 NT Pass 3 NT All Pass
Opening lead — H 4

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