Bridge: June 21, 2022

In a Vanderbilt match at the ACBL Spring Championships, my fellow Alabaman Larry Sealy was today’s South. He traded on the favorable vulnerability to open up with a featherweight preempt I’ll confess that action would not have happened to stodgy me. North innocently elevated to five clubs.

The agreement essential a tiny luck. As the cards lay, it also needed fantastic enjoy, but Sealy delivered. The defense led and ongoing spades, and Sealy ruffed and led a trump to dummy’s king, winning, and a trump to his queen.

TRUMP Duration

When West discarded, declarer required a friendly layout to have a probability. He enable the nine of diamonds experience, led a second diamond — king, ace — and took the queen as East adopted. Sealy following ruffed a spade, decreasing to the same trump length as East, and took the queen, king and ace of hearts, as East followed yet again.

It was then Trick 12, and declarer experienced the J-9 of trumps at the rear of East’s A-10. With dummy to direct, Sealy was confident of just one extra trick. Building 5.

Day-to-day Concern

You hold: S Q J 10 9 6 H J 10 7 6 2 D K 4 C 7. Your husband or wife opens one diamond, you bid just one spade and he rebids two diamonds. What do you say?

Reply: This problem is uneasy. To bid two hearts is tempting lover may well even have a hand with 6 diamonds and four hearts. Still, a bid of two hearts would be forcing and limitless in toughness and may well induce him to bid far too a lot. A agreement of two diamonds should really develop a additionally. Pass.

South seller

E-W susceptible

NORTH

S 8 7 4 3

H A K 9

D A Q 10 8

C K 4

WEST

S Q J 10 9 6

H J 10 7 6 2

D K 4

C 7

EAST

S A K 5

H 8 5 3

D 6 5 3

C A 10 6 2

SOUTH

S 2

H Q 4

D J 9 7 2

C Q J 9 8 5 3

South West North East
3 C Pass 5 C All Move
Opening guide — S Q

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