The Washington Post - 05.11.2019

C6 EZ RE THE WASHINGTON POST.TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5 , 2019

BREWSTER ROCKIT: SPACE GUY! TIM RICKARD

CURTIS RAY BILLINGSLEY

SHERMAN’S LAGOON JIM TOOMEY

RED AND ROVER BRIAN BASSET

FRANK AND ERNEST TOM THAVES

RHYMES WITH ORANGE HILARY PRICE

LIO MARK TATULLI

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE CHRIS BROWNE

BLONDIE DEAN YOUNG & JOHN MARSHALL

MIKE DU JOUR MIKE LESTER

AGNES TONY COCHRAN

WUMO MIKAEL WULFF & ANDERS MORGENTHALER

MARK TRAIL JAMES ALLEN

MOTHER GOOSE & GRIMM MIKE PETERS

BALDO HECTOR CANTU & CARLOS CASTELLANOS

SALLY FORTH FRANCESCO MARCIULIANO & JIM KEEFE

CLASSIC PEANUTS CHARLES SCHULZ

CLASSIC DOONESBURY GARRY TRUDEAU PICKLES BRIAN CRANE

SUDOKU

NORTH

 K Q 2

 A Q

 8 6 4 3 2

 8 5 2

WEST

 4

 J 9 6 3 2

 K J 9 7

 10 9 6

EAST (D)

 9 8 3

 K 10 7 5

 10 5

 A K Q J

SOUTH

 A J 10 7 6 5

 8 4

 A Q

 7 4 3

The bidding:

I

got another letter from the

Society of Finessers, com-

plaining that finesses never

win in my deals.

“Sir: We must again con-

demn your disdain for the

finesse, an honorable tech-

nique that succeeds fully

half the time, except in your

columns.”

I’m not anti-finesse

— when no other play is

available. Against today’s

three spades, East takes

three clubs and shifts to a

diamond: queen, king. West

next leads a heart. South

grabs dummy’s ace — East

must have the king for his

opening bid — takes the

ace of diamonds, leads a

trump to dummy and ruffs a

diamond. When the suit fails

to break 3-3, South loses a

heart.

South has missed the best

play. He must take the ace of

diamonds at Trick Four and

next lead the queen.

If West shifts to a heart,

South takes the ace, ruffs

a diamond, leads a trump

to dummy and ruffs a dia-

mond. He can draw trumps

in dummy and pitch a heart

on the good diamond. South

can expect to succeed if

diamonds break 3-3 or 4-2:

about an 84 percent chance.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold:

 K Q 2  A Q

 8 6 4 3 2  8 5 2

Your partner opens one

diamond. The next player

passes. What do you say?

ANSWER: This is a judg-

ment call, and system may

matter. Some players might

respond 2NT, which in their

style is invitational, show-

ing about 11 points. Others

would bid three diamonds

as a “limit raise.” Many pairs

use “inverted” minor-suit

raises and would bid two

diamonds, forcing. Ask your

favorite partner what call he

would make.

N-S VULNERABLE

EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH

1  1  Pass 2 

Pass 2  Pass 3 

All Pass

Opening lead —  10

BRIDGE

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— Frank Stewart