The Washington Post - USA (2020-09-14

C6 EZ RE THE WASHINGTON POST.MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 , 2020

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)

♠ K 7 4

♥ A 3

♦ A 6 5 3 2

♣ K 7 3

WEST

♠ Q J 10 3

♥ 9 2

♦ Q 10 8 7

♣ Q 10 4

EAST

♠ A 9 8 6

♥ 8 6 5

♦ K J

♣ J 9 8 5

SOUTH

♠ 5 2

♥ K Q J 10 7 4

♦ 9 4

♣ A 6 2

The bidding:

“I

read somewhere,” Cy the

Cynic told me in the club

lounge, “that people’s great-

est fear is speaking in public.

Death is second. That means

that at a funeral, most people

would rather be reposing in

the casket than delivering the

eulogy.”

Some people seem to

have a morbid fear of leaving

trumps undrawn. At today’s

four hearts, South ruffed

the third spade ... and drew

trumps. He next played a low

diamond from both hands.

East won and led a fourth

spade. Declarer ruffed, took

the ace of diamonds and

ruffed a diamond. When East

discarded, South had an

unavoidable club loser. Down

one.

South must have been

deathly afraid of waiting to

draw trumps. At Trick Four,

he should concede a dia-

mond. If East leads a trump,

declarer wins in his hand,

takes the ace of diamonds,

ruffs a diamond, goes to the

ace of trumps and ruffs a

diamond.

South can then draw the

missing trump and reach

dummy with the king of clubs

to pitch his losing club on the

good fifth diamond.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold:

♠ K 7 4 ♥ A 3

♦ A 6 5 3 2 ♣ K 7 3

Your partner opens one

heart, you respond two dia-

monds and he bids three

clubs. What do you say?

ANSWER: Your hand is

too promising to bid 3NT.

Partner’s three clubs is a

so-called “high reverse” and

promises extra strength. If

he has a hand such as A 5,

K Q J 6 4, 8, A Q 10 6 5, you

will have a fine play for 13

tricks at notrump, and he

might have an even better

hand. Stall with a bid of three

spades.

N-S VULNERABLE

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1 ♦ Pass 1 ♥ Pass

1 NT Pass 4 ♥ All Pass

Opening lead — ♠ Q

BRIDGE

©2020, TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.

— Frank Stewart