Bridge

By Frank Stewart
Monday, September 24, 2007; C10

If an item is advertised as "under $50," you can be sure it's not $19.95. And if you're declarer against expert defenders, you can bet that they'll try to lead you astray.

In today's deal, East played the five on the first heart, and South took the queen and looked cold for an overtrick, losing only a trump and a club. South cashed the ace of hearts, ruffed his last heart in dummy and let the ten of trumps ride.

West won and saw that since dummy's diamonds would give South plenty of winners, the defense needed a miracle. So West indulged in some bait-and-switch advertising by leading the QUEEN of clubs.

South could have put up the king and made TWO overtricks, but he feared West had led from Q-J-9. So dummy played low, and West next led the deuce of clubs.

South pondered but still thought West was likely to have the jack of clubs. So dummy played low again, and East took the jack and returned a club for down one.

This week: deception on defense.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S A Q J 9 8 H A Q 3 D J 8 C 10 7 6. You open one spade, your partner bids two diamonds, you rebid two spades and he rebids three diamonds. The opponents pass. What do you say?

ANSWER: Your partner has long diamonds but minimum high-card values for a response at the level of two. Though you might make 3NT on a heart opening lead if he has 6, J 6 5, K Q 10 7 6 5 3, A 4, he may equally hold 6, K 6 5, K Q 10 7 6 5 3, J 4, and then no game will have a chance. Pass.

North dealer

N-S vulnerable

NORTH

S 10 7 3

H 7 6

D A K Q 10 9

C K 4 3

WEST

S K 6 4

H 10 9 8 4

D 7 3 2

C A Q 2

EAST

S 5 2

H K J 5 2

D 6 5 4

C J 9 8 5

SOUTH

S A Q J 9 8

H A Q 3

D J 8

C 10 7 6

North East South West

1 D Pass 1 S Pass

2 D Pass 3 S Pass

4 S All Pass

Opening lead -- H 10

2007Tribune Media Services, Inc.