The Washington Post - 02.11.2019

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 , 2019. THE WASHINGTON POST EZ RE C5

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

 10 5 4

 A 7

 J 6

 A 9 8 7 6 3

WEST

 9 6

 J 10 8 6 2

 K 3

 Q 10 4 2

EAST

 Q J 8 3 2

 Q 5 4

 A 9 8 5

 5

SOUTH (D)

 A K 7

 K 9 3

 Q 10 7 4 2

 K J

The bidding:

“S

imple Saturday” col-

umns are meant to

help aspiring players improve

technique and develop logical

thinking.

Learning players must

absorb an array of rules.

Defenders are taught to

“cover an honor with an

honor.” Such “rules” have

logical exceptions.

Today’s North properly

raises South’s 1NT to 3NT;

the nine-trick game will suc-

ceed more often than five

clubs. South wins the first

heart with his king. He must

set up the clubs but lacks

the dummy entries to finesse

with his jack. So South takes

the king and leads the jack.

If West covers an honor

with his queen, South takes

the ace and leads the nine,

losing to the 10. He then has

five club tricks, two hearts

and two spades.

Cover an honor to promote

lower cards in your hand or

partner’s hand. Since that

is unproductive here, West

must duck the jack of clubs.

South will pass the jack, but

when East discards, South

gets only three club tricks.

The defense will have time to

set up the hearts to beat the

game.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold:

 A K 7  K 9 3

 Q 10 7 4 2  K J

Neither side vulnerable.

The dealer, at your right,

opens one club. What do you

say?

ANSWER: Plenty of rules

exist for the bidding, but

many situations require

you to use your judgment. I

believe most experts would

double one club for takeout

as the best action here. A

few would overcall one dia-

mond, getting the five-card

suit mentioned. Others would

try 1NT, showing the same

type of hand as a 1NT

opening.

BOTH SIDES VULNERABLE

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1 NT Pass 3 NT All Pass

Opening lead —  J

BRIDGE

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