Today’s deal arose at the Summer NABC in the Fast Pairs (so named not because players don’t eat during the event but because they have 11 minutes to play two deals instead of the usual 15). Brian Glubok played at four hearts after East preempted with three clubs.
Glubok won the spade opening lead in dummy and led a trump, and East rose with the ace and led the king of clubs. West couldn’t find a second trump, so dummy’s ace won.
Glubok drew the missing trump and rejected a finesse with his queen of diamonds for an overtrick. East had shown seven good clubs plus an ace; with the king of diamonds, he would have opened one club.
LAST CLUB
So Glubok took two more spades and the ace of diamonds and exited with the queen. When West won, he had to lead a spade or a diamond, and Glubok ruffed in dummy and pitched his last club. Making five.
This year, the Fast Pairs was renamed the Oshlag Fast Pairs to honor Richard Oshlag, who has not only won the event twice but is the ACBL’s longest-tenured employee. He has served since 1969.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: S K Q 3 H 9 5 4 2 D J 9 C A 9 4 2. Your partner opens one club, you respond one heart and he bids 1NT. The opponents pass. What do you say?
ANSWER: Your partner has at least four clubs. If he had only three, he would have four cards in another suit and would have opened one diamond, raised your one heart to two, or bid one spade. Bid two clubs. If your partner is weak in a red suit, the play at notrump might go badly, but at clubs you can hope to keep control and score some ruffing tricks.
West dealer
N-S vulnerable
NORTH
S K Q 3
H 9 5 4 2
D J 9
C A 9 4 2
WEST
S J 8 7 6 2
H 3
D K 8 7 6 5 4 3
C None
EAST
S 10 9
H A 8
D 10 2
C K Q J 7 6 5 3
SOUTH
S A 5 4
H K Q J 10 7 6
D A Q
C 10 8
West North East South
Pass Pass 3 C 3 H
Pass 4 C Pass 4 D
Pass 4 H All Pass
Opening lead – S 6
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