The Washington Post - 05.09.2019

C6 EZ RE THE WASHINGTON POST.THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 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

NO RTH

♠ A Q 6

♥ Q 6 3

♦ 6 5 3

! K 9 6 2

WEST

♠ K 10 9 2

♥ 9 8 4

♦ A Q 7

! 8 5 3

EAST

♠ 7 4

♥ K J 7 5 2

♦ 10 9 8 2

! 10 7

SOUTH (D)

♠ J 8 5 3

♥ A 10

♦ K J 4

! A Q J 4

The bidding:

“T

he best things in life

are free. Everything

else is too expensive.” — Cy

the Cynic

Cy says that the best

things in life are free

finesses. Cynical as he is, Cy

distrusts finesses and would

rather his opponents took

them for him.

In a team match, both

Wests led a spade against

3NT. At one table, South

won with the eight, returned

a spade to dummy’s queen

and tried a diamond to his

jack. West took the queen

and led a third spade to the

ace. South then tried a sec-

ond diamond to his king, and

his roof collapsed. West won,

and the defense got a spade

and four diamonds.

Cy found a better

approach. The first two tricks

were the same, but then

the Cynic cashed the ace

of spades and four clubs

and exited with his jack of

spades.

When West won, he had to

help declarer. He led the nine

of hearts: three, jack, ace. Cy

returned the 10. East took

his king and led a diamond,

but when West won, he had

to give Cy a diamond trick

or give dummy the queen of

hearts. Making three.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold:

♠ K 10 9 2 ♥ 9 8 4

♦ A Q 7! 8 5 3

Your partner opens one

heart, you raise to two hearts

and he bids three clubs.

What do you say?

ANSWER: This problem is

deceptively hard. Partner’s

three clubs is a try for game

and asks you to decide with

particular attention to your

holding in his second suit.

Though you have a maximum

raise, your holdings in his

suits are the worst. Bid 3NT,

but if partner corrects to four

hearts, don’t be surprised if

he doesn’t make it.

BOTH SIDES VULNERABLE

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1 NT Pass 3 NT All Pass

Opening lead — ♠ 2

BRIDGE

©2019, TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.

— Frank Stewart