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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— Frank Stewart