The Washington Post - 14.11.2019

C6 EZ RE THE WASHINGTON POST.THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14 , 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 7 4 Q 2 Q 10 7 2 6 5 3 2 WEST Q 10 J 9 8 7 5 3 9 6 5 J 8

EAST J 9 8 A 10 8 3 A K Q 9 7 4 SOUTH (D) A 6 5 3 2 K 6 4 A K J 4 10

The bidding:

Y

ou’re serving on a coro- ner’s jury, determining the cause of death of today’s four-spade contract. South’s bid of three diamonds showed game interest, and North liked his diamond hold- ing and bid game. South ruffed the second club and took the A-K of trumps. When East-West fol- lowed, South cashed four diamonds, as East refused to ruff. Declarer next led a heart to dummy’s queen, but when East took the ace, he cashed his high trump. South was left with a second heart loser and went down. If declarer leads a heart to the queen at Trick Three, East can win and lead a third club, and the defenders get two trump tricks. How say you? Was down one inevitable? Put the blame on declarer. After he cashes two high trumps, he should lead the deuce of hearts from dummy. East must play low, and South’s king wins. South then reaches dummy twice with high diamonds, ruffs dummy’s last two clubs and continues diamonds. Whatever East does, South loses only three tricks in all. DAILY QUESTION You hold: A 6 5 3 2 K 6 4 A K J 4 10 Your partner opens one heart, you bid one spade and he rebids two hearts. What do you say? ANSWER: Your partner has at least six cards in hearts. If he held five, he would have had a more descriptive second bid. Slam is likely if he has the ace of clubs. (The K-Q would be “wasted” oppo- site your singleton.) Bid three diamonds. If partner bids 3 NT next, bid four hearts, suggesting slam with club shortness. Let him decide.

BOTH SIDES VULNERABLE

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST 1 Pass 2 3 3 Pass 4 All Pass Opening lead — J

BRIDGE

— Frank Stewart