The Washington Post - USA (2021-10-25)

C6 EZ RE THE WASHINGTON POST.MONDAY, OCTOBER 25 , 2021

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 JULES RIVERA

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

♠ J 5 3

♥ A

♦ A 7 4

♣ K Q 10 9 8 2

WEST

♠ Q 8

♥ J 10 9 8 3

♦ Q 10 8 6

♣ 7 5

EAST

♠ K 10 7 6

♥ 7 5 4 2

♦ J 9

♣ A J 3

SOUTH (D)

♠ A 9 4 2

♥ K Q 6

♦ K 5 3 2

♣ 6 4

The bidding:

“M

y partner’s skills as

declarer have never

been questioned,” a c lub

player told me sourly. “In

fact, they’ve never even been

mentioned.”

My complainant’s part-

ner was declarer at 3NT in

a penny-a-point set game.

After dummy’s ace won the

first heart, declarer came

to his king of diamonds and

returned a club to dummy’s

king. When East played low,

South came back to the ace

of spades and led a second

club: five, queen, ace. Then

he couldn’t make use of the

clubs and went down two.

“If he has an aptitude for

dummy play,” North griped,

“it has yet to be discovered.”

It doesn’t help South to

lead the king of clubs from

dummy at Trick Two. East will

play low, and South lacks the

entries to set up and cash

any clubs. Instead, dummy

must lead the 10.

East takes the jack and

returns a heart, and South

wins and leads his last club

to the king and East’s ace.

South can win the next heart

and reach dummy with the

ace of diamonds to run the

clubs, making an overtrick.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold:

♠ A 9 4 2 ♥ K Q 6

♦ K 5 3 2 ♣ 6 4

The dealer, at your left,

opens one spade. Your part-

ner doubles, and the next

player passes. What do you

say?

ANSWER: Opposite a

partner who will have sound

values for his double, you

have enough strength to

insist on game or at least to

invite strongly, but you may

lack a good trump suit. Bid

2NT, invitational to game. If

the defenders attack spades,

maybe your nine will provide

a second stopper.

N- S VULNERABLE

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1 ♦ Pass 2 ♣ Pass

2 NT Pass 3 NT All pass

Opening lead — ♥ J

BRIDGE

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— Frank Stewart