Bridge

This month on Thursdays I shall be running some more deals from “Frank Stewart’s Bridge Club,” his latest book. In each case the deal should give you something to think about as well as to laugh at. Today, you might want to test yourself as declarer in four spades before reading the solution.

As Frank puts it, an old man entered his club, looking as if he had come to town on a watermelon truck, and sat down to watch the play. He wore overalls and dangled a corncob pipe.

South took dummy’s club ace and led to his diamond king, losing to West’s ace. The old man squirmed but said nothing. South won the club return, lost the heart king to East’s ace, ruffed the next club, and led the jack of trumps! He was safe if East took the queen, but East played low.

When South took the diamond queen and ruffed a diamond in dummy next, East overruffed and led the queen of trumps. South lost a diamond and went down, and the oldster shook his head.

“How do you play it, Grandpa?” South sneered.

The reply came in a drawl you could pour over pancakes: “If you got to swaller a frog, do it quick. Lead the heart king at trick two, win the club return, shed a diamond on the queen of hearts, and lead a diamond. You ruff a diamond with the nine of trumps later, and you’re home free.”

You know what? He was right.

Bid with the aces

South holds:

Answer: Pass. You responded conservatively with one no-trump because you feared a misfit, and your worst fears have been realized. Partner has minimum values with at least six spades. This may not be your best spot, but why should you risk trying to improve matters, when a bad guess will be very expensive?