A newspaper item on an unusual organ transplant was headlined “Blind man gets kidney from mother he’d not seen in years.” The same paper headed a story about a church official as “Blind bishop appointed to See.”
There are none so blind … In today’s deal, East took the queen of clubs and returned a club: nine, ten, ace. South then cashed the A-Q of diamonds. When East discarded, South exited with a club, but West refused to run his clubs, which would have squeezed East in the major suits: He took two clubs but next led a spade, and South went down.
SPADE RETURN
South had a blind spot: He must try to count East-West’s distribution. South can win the third club, lead a diamond to his ace and return a spade to dummy’s ten. He wins the spade return with the ace and leads a heart to the ten. South eventually learns that East had 10 major-suit cards; South knows how to play the diamonds.
After South saw the 4-1 diamond split, he could also have succeeded by end-playing West.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: S A 6 4 H A 5 3 D A K 10 4 C J 9 4. You open 1NT, and your partner bids two diamonds. The opponents pass. What do you say?
ANSWER: With no prior agreement, I would interpret partner’s two diamonds as to play. He should have a weak, unbalanced hand. But practiced partnerships invariably give the bid a conventional meaning. Most pairs treat it as a form of the Stayman convention or as a “transfer” to hearts. Discuss your bidding methods with your partner.
South dealer
N-S vulnerable
NORTH
S K 10 5
H K 10 4
D Q 9 8 5
C A 5 3
WEST
S 7 2
H 8 6
D J 7 6 3
C K 10 8 6 2
EAST
S Q J 9 8 3
H Q J 9 7 2
D 2
C Q 7
SOUTH
S A 6 4
H A 5 3
D A K 10 4
C J 9 4
South West North East
1 NT Pass 3 NT All Pass
Opening lead — C 6
