The Washington Post - USA (2020-11-13)

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13 , 2020. 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 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

♠ K 10 3

♥ Q 4

♦ A 8 4

♣ Q 10 9 4 3

WEST

♠ 6 4 2

♥ K J 9 8 5

♦ Q 5

♣ A K 2

EAST

♠ J 8 7 5

♥ 7 3

♦ J 10 9 7 2

♣ 7 5

SOUTH (D)

♠ A Q 9

♥ A 10 6 2

♦ K 6 3

♣ J 8 6

The bidding:

T

his week’s deals have

focused on declarer’s

play to the first trick — when

the fate of the contract is

often decided. To test your-

self, cover today’s East- West

cards. Against your 3NT,

West, who overcalled one

heart, vulnerable, leads the

eight of hearts.

How do you proceed?

Since we’re dealing with Trick

One play, and dummy has

only two cards from which to

choose, you should go right.

Say South plays low from

dummy to assure two heart

tricks. He wins with the ten

and starts the clubs. West

wins and leads the king of

hearts, pinning dummy’s

queen and forcing out the

ace. When West gets back in

with his second high club, he

takes three hearts for down

one.

South must play dummy’s

queen on the first heart.

When he leads a club next,

West wins and leads the king

of hearts, but South takes

the ace and forces out West’s

second high club. South still

has the 10-6 of hearts for a

stopper, so he is safe.

If East had a high club,

the contract would be

unmakeable.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold:

♠ K 10 3 ♥ Q 4

♦ A 8 4 ♣ Q 10 9 4 3

Your partner opens one

heart, you respond two

clubs, he rebids two hearts

and you try 2NT. Partner then

bids three clubs. What do

you say?

ANSWER: Partner’s bid-

ding suggests a minimum,

distributional hand. He wants

nothing to do with either

game or notrump. Pass. He

may have a hand such as

4 2, A K 7 6 2, J 6 2, K J 8.

To persist with 3NT, though

you might survive on a lucky

day, would be a breach of

discipline.

BOTH SIDES VULNERABLE

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1 ♣ 1 ♥ 3 ♣ Pass

3 NT All Pass

Opening lead — ♥ 8

BRIDGE

©2020, TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.

— Frank Stewart