The Washington Post - 06.08.2019

C6 EZ RE THE WASHINGTON POST.TUESDAY, AUGUST 6 , 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 (D)

 8 6 3

 A J 7

 A Q J 10 5 3

 A

WEST

 K 7 5

 10 8 5 3 2

 None

 10 8 6 5 3

EAST

 Q J 10 9

 K 9 6

 K 7 6 4

 J 9

SOUTH

 A 4 2

 Q 4

 9 8 2

 K Q 7 4 2

The bidding:

F

ew chess masters have

also been adept at bridge.

Samuel Reshevsky, an

American grandmaster, tried

bridge. He learned the basics

of bidding and play, but

because his mind was orient-

ed to abstract analysis, the

personal element of bridge

was beyond his grasp.

Some dummy-play prob-

lems mirror chess; declarer

must look several moves

ahead. In today’s deal, West

leads a heart against 3NT.

(Six diamonds would be a fair

spot.) Declarer has ample

winners, but if he plays low

from dummy, East may win

and shift to a damaging

spade.

Say South takes the ace

of hearts, unblocks dummy’s

ace of clubs and continues

with the A-Q of diamonds.

East will play low, and then

South can’t untangle all his

tricks and will fail.

South must time the play

perfectly. To handle his entry

problems, he leads the

queen of diamonds at Trick

Three and, when East ducks,

the jack next. If East ducks

again, South leads a heart.

He is sure of three diamonds,

two hearts, a spade and

three clubs.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold:

 A 4 2  Q 4

 9 8 2  K Q 7 4 2

Your partner opens one

heart, you bid two clubs and

he rebids two hearts. What

do you say?

ANSWER: Partner isn’t

expecting you to pass after

you responded in a new

suit at the two level. A bid

of 2NT (despite your weak

diamonds) or a raise to

three hearts (hoping he has

a strong suit) is acceptable.

In a style where a response

of two clubs would force

to game, you would have

responded 1NT with this

hand.

N-S VULNERABLE

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1  Pass 2  Pass

3  Pass 3 NT All Pass

Opening lead —  3

BRIDGE

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— Frank Stewart