The Washington Post - 30.08.2019

FRIDAY, AUGUST 30 , 2019. THE WASHINGTON POST EZ RE C5

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

♠ K J 9 5

♥ 10 9

♦ K 10 8 3

! K 7 4

WEST

♠ A 4

♥ 7 3 2

♦ 9 4 2

! Q 10 8 6 3

EAST

♠ 8 7 3 2

♥ Q J 8 4

♦ 7 6 5

! A J

SOUTH (D)

♠ Q 10 6

♥ A K 6 5

♦ A Q J

! 9 5 2

The bidding:

“M

innie isn’t playing in

the evening dupli-

cate,” Cy the Cynic told me

smugly. “That means I have

a chance at the first-place

jackpot.”

“Where is she?”

“A t the senior citizens cen-

ter, playing bingo. I drove her

there and staked her.”

“It sounds as if you’re get-

ting desperate,” I said.

Minnie Bottoms wears old

bifocals that make her mix

up kings and jacks, often

to her opponents’ dismay.

Cy has been Minnie’s chief

victim.

“Look what she did to me

yesterday,” Cy said, showing

today’s deal. “I was South

at 3NT and played low from

dummy on the first club.

Minnie took the ace (!) and

returned the jack. West over-

took to set up his suit and

got in with the ace of spades

to beat me.”

“Nice defense,” I said.

“You make 3NT if she plays

the jack on the first club.”

“Nice defense by her glass-

es,” Cy growled. “Minnie said

she knew enough to play the

ace first and then the king

from A-K doubleton. At least

she didn’t yell ‘Bingo’ when

West took the setting trick.”

DAILY QUESTION

You hold:

♠ A 4 ♥ 7 3 2

♦ 9 4 2! Q 10 8 6 3

Your partner opens one

club, you raise to two clubs

and he next tries two hearts.

What do you say?

ANSWER: You have a

minimum single raise, and to

offer no encouragement and

sign off at three clubs would

appeal to many good play-

ers. Since you have an ace

and a fifth club, to preserve

your chances for 3NT would

also be reasonable. Then you

would bid two spades, show-

ing a high card in that suit.

N-S VULNERABLE

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1 NT Pass 2! Pass

2 ♥ Pass 3 NT All Pass

Opening lead —! 6

BRIDGE

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— Frank Stewart