C6 EZ RE THE WASHINGTON POST.SATURDAY, MAY 28 , 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
SUDOKUNORTH
♠ 8 7 5 4
♥ A K 8
♦ A
♣ A J 9 7 3
WEST
♠ A K J
♥ Q J 10 9
♦ 10 7 4 2
♣ 5 2EAST
♠ None
♥ 6 4 2
♦ Q J 9 6 3
♣ K Q 10 8 4
SOUTH (D)
♠ Q 10 9 6 3 2
♥ 7 5 3
♦ K 8 5
♣ 6The bidding:O
n “Simple Saturday,” I
focus on basic technique
and logical thinking.
In a beginning class, the
teacher may dogmatically
tout drawing trumps, lest
the defenders ruff declarer’s
side-suit winners. If you
think it’s always right to draw
trumps, today’s deal should
make you rethink.
At four spades, South
took the ace of hearts and
thought he could safely lead
a trump. When East unkindly
showed out, West took the
jack, king and ace. Dummy
then had only one trump left,
and though South could ruff
a diamond in dummy, he lost
a heart.
Every dogma has its day,
but this was no day to draw
trumps. South has three
possible trump losers but
no other fast losers; he can
leave the trumps alone. He
takes the ace of diamonds
and ace of clubs, ruffs a club,
discards dummy’s low heart
on the king of diamonds and
ruffs a diamond.
South then ruffs another
club. West overruffs with the
jack and takes the A-K, but
dummy still has a trump for
South to ruff his third heart.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold:
♠ 8 7 5 4 ♥ A K 8
♦ A ♣ A J 9 7 3
Your partner deals and
opens one heart. The next
player passes. What do you
say?
ANSWER: You can make
a grand slam if partner has
a suitable minimum such
as A 2, Q J 9 6 4, 8 7 6, K Q
2, and he may have a bet-
ter hand than that. Tell him
slam is likely: Jump-shift
to three clubs and support
the hearts next. If he has a
hand like the one above, with
club honors and the ace of
spades, he will be suitably
encouraged.N-S VULNERABLESOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
Pass Pass 1 ♣ Pass
1 ♠ Pass 3 ♠ Pass
4 ♠ All Pass
Opening lead — ♥ QBRIDGE©2022, TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.
— Frank Stewart