C6 EZ RE THE WASHINGTON POST.MONDAY, MARCH 7 , 2022
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
♠ 7
♥ K 7 4
♦K 6 4 3
♣ J 10 8 7 2
WEST
♠A 6 5 2
♥ Q 10 3
♦Q J 10 2
♣ K 6EAST
♠8 4 3
♥ 6 2
♦A 9 8 7
♣ 9 5 4 3
SOUTH (D)
♠K Q J 10 9
♥ A J 9 8 5
♦ 5
♣ A QThe bidding:
I
f asked to cite some over-
rated things in life, I might
nominate bottled water,
bubble baths, big weddings,
texting, tattoos ... and finess-
es. A finesse will win half the
time or more; a bigger issue
is whether a winning finesse
will gain anything.
At today’s four hearts,
South ruffed the second
diamond and led the jack
of spades. West rose with
his ace and led another
diamond, and South ruffed
again.
Declarer next led a
trump to dummy’s king
and returned a trump ...
for a finesse with his jack.
West won and led a fourth
diamond, and when South
had to ruff with the ace of
trumps, West’s 10 was high
and won the setting trick.
South didn’t need a trump
finesse (or a club finesse, if
he had chosen to try it). After
South ruffs the third dia-
mond, he must take the K-A
of trumps.
When East-West follow low,
South runs the spades, pitch-
ing four clubs from dummy.
West can ruff the fifth spade,
but South wins the last three
tricks with trumps and the
ace of clubs.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold:
♠ 7 ♥ K 7 4
♦K 6 4 3 ♣ J 10 8 7 2
The dealer, at your left,
opens one heart. Your part-
ner doubles, you respond
two clubs and he bids two
spades. What do you say?
ANSWER: Expert opinions
would vary. Stranding partner
at two spades seems wrong
when he has promised a
strong hand and you have
a decent hand. To try 2NT
would be reasonable, but you
have only a single heart stop-
per and no obvious source of
tricks for notrump. Bid three
clubs.N-S VULNERABLE
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
1 ♠ Pass 1 NT Pass
3 ♥ Pass 3 NT Pass
4 ♥ All Pass
Opening lead — ♦ QBRIDGE
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— Frank Stewart