The Washington Post - 19.03.2020

C6 EZ RE THE WASHINGTON POST.THURSDAy, MARCH 19 , 2020

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

♠ Q 9 2

♥ 10 8 3

♦ Q 7 6 2

! A 4 3

WEST

♠ 8 6

♥ A Q 9 4

♦ K 10

! K Q 10 9 5

EAST

♠ 7 5 4

♥ J 7 6 2

♦ J 4 3

! J 8 7

SOUTH (D)

♠ A K J 10 3

♥ K 5

♦ A 9 8 5

! 6 2

The bidding:

“M

y wife says we need

to make sacrifices

if our marriage is going to

thrive,” Unlucky Louie told me

in the club lounge.

“That sounds perceptive to

me,” I said.

“Me too,” Louie nodded.

“I’ve selected a goat.”

Louie was today’s West in

a penny game. He led the

king of clubs against four

spades. Declarer refused

the trick, won the next club

and led a low diamond from

dummy: three, ace, 10 from

Louie. South next took only

the A-Q of trumps, ruffed

dummy’s last club and led a

diamond.

Louie took the king ... and

was end-played. He cashed

the ace of hearts, and South

claimed. If instead Louie had

led a club, declarer would

ruff in dummy and discard a

heart, again losing only three

tricks.

To prevail, Louie had to

sacrifice his king of dia-

monds, throwing it under the

ace. Then East would win

a diamond trick and lead a

heart. That play is unlikely to

lose, especially since South

might have finessed in dia-

monds if he held A-J-x-x.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold:

♠ 8 6 ♥ A Q 9 4

♦ K 10! K Q 10 9 5

You open one club, and

your partner bids one spade.

The opponents pass. What

do you say?

ANSWER: You must not bid

two hearts. That call would

be a “reverse,” promising

much more than minimum

strength. (In the style of

some partnerships, it would

force to game.) A rebid of two

clubs would be defensible

but would suggest a six-card

or longer suit. Bid 1NT to

show a balanced minimum

opening bid.

BOTH SIDES VULNERABLE

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1 ♠ Dbl 2 ♠ Pass

3 ♦ Pass 4 ♠ All Pass

Opening lead —! K

BRIDGE

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— Frank Stewart