C6 EZ RE THE WASHINGTON POST.WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22 , 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 (D)
♠ K J
♥ J 7 5
♦ A 6 3
♣ A Q 7 6 2
WEST
♠ Q 10 4 3 2
♥ 8 2
♦ K J 9 5
♣ K 4
EAST
♠ A 8 7
♥ Q 10 9
♦ 10 8 4
♣ 10 9 8 5
SOUTH
♠ 9 6 5
♥ A K 6 4 3
♦ Q 7 2
♣ J 3
The bidding:W
endy, my club’s femi-
nist, had attended a
Nativity play at her niece’s
school.
“Women played most
of the characters,” she
informed us, “especially the
Three Wise Men — due to
the current shortage of wise
men.”
As West in a penny game,
Wendy led a spade against
four hearts. Dummy played
the jack, and East took his
ace and led a diamond:
deuce, nine, ace. South next
led a trump to his ace and
returned the jack of clubs:
king, ace. He took the king
of spades, led a trump to his
king, ruffed his last spade in
dummy and tried a diamond
to his queen. He went down
one when Wendy had the
king.
“It’s hard to find two wise
men,” Wendy sighed, “much
less three.”
South’s play and East’s
defense were unwise. After
South wins the club finesse,
he can take the king of
trumps and the queen of
clubs, ruff a club, go to the
king of spades and ruff a
club. He ruffs a spade in
dummy and throws a dia-
mond on the good club.
East beats four hearts by
ducking the first spade.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold:
♠ K J ♥ J 7 5
♦ A 6 3 ♣ A Q 7 6 2
Your partner opens one
spade, you respond two
clubs, he bids two hearts
and you stall with a “fourth-
suit” bid of three diamonds.
Partner then rebids three
spades. What do you say?
ANSWER: Partner’s auction
suggests six spades, four
hearts and extra strength. If
he had a minimum 6-4 hand
such as A Q 9 6 4 3, K Q 3 2,
4, 5 3, he would have rebid
two spades. Bid six spades.
He may hold A Q 10 6 4 3, A
Q 4 2, 4, K 3.N-S VULNERABLE
NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST
1 NT Pass 3 ♥ Pass
4 ♥ All Pass
Opening lead — ♠ 3BRIDGE
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— Frank Stewart