“I can’t say that I always listen to my wife,” a player at my club told me, “but things seem to work out better when I do.”
My friend said he was today’s West in a duplicate game and led a diamond against South’s 3NT.
“My wife was East and followed with the deuce,” he told me. “Declarer won with the jack and led the jack of clubs, winning, and then the king and ten. I won the third club, and my wife discarded the deuce of hearts.
“I led another diamond, hoping South had only the ace left. But dummy’s king won, and South followed with the eight. He took four hearts, four clubs and three diamonds. My wife apologized for not having lower cards than deuces with which to signal.”
ELOQUENT
East’s signals were eloquent, and my friend should have listened. When he takes the ace of clubs, he should trust his wife and shift to the ace and four of spades. The defense wins four spades and a club.
Listen to your partner, especially if he or she happens to be your spouse.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: S A 4 H J 10 3 D Q 9 5 4 3 C A 7 5. Your partner opens one spade, you respond two diamonds, he bids two hearts and you try 2NT. Partner then bids three diamonds. What do you say?
ANSWER: This sequence is generally treated as forcing; in a game-forcing two-over-one style, it would certainly be forcing. Partner appears to have a good hand with club shortness, so all your values are “working.” Bid five diamonds or cue-bid four clubs.
South dealer
N-S vulnerable
NORTH
S 9 6 5 3
H K 4
D K 10
C Q 9 6 4 3
WEST
S A 4
H J 10 3
D Q 9 5 4 3
C A 7 5
EAST
S K Q 10 2
H 9 8 6 2
D 7 6 2
C 8 2
SOUTH
S J 8 7
H A Q 7 5
D A J 8
C K J 10
South West North East
1 NT Pass 2 C Pass
2 H Pass 2 NT Pass
3 NT All Pass
Opening lead — D 4
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