“Let me show you a game I invented,&” the Serpent said to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. “I call it “bridge.”

The Serpent recruited a fourth from the land of Nod, and the game commenced. In today’s deal, the Serpent led the queen of spades against four hearts, and Eve, the declarer, ruffed the second spade and took her three high trumps. Despite the bad trump break, an overtrick was possible if the Serpent held the queen of clubs.

“I can resist anything but temptation,” Eve muttered, and she let the jack of clubs ride. East of Eden took the queen and led a diamond.

Eve took dummy’s ace and tried to pitch her last diamond on dummy’s clubs, but the Serpent ruffed the third club and cashed a diamond. Down one.

Eve succumbed. If she takes the ace of clubs at Trick Six, ruffs a spade, and leads the king and a third club, the Serpent won’t have a leg to stand on. East can win and lead a diamond, but Eve wins and discards her last diamond on dummy’s high club.

Daily question: You hold: ? 4 ? A Q 10 7 6 5 3 ? 9 5 ? J 10 9. Neither side vulnerable. You deal and open three hearts, and the next player bids three spades. Your partner doubles, and your RHO passes. What do you say?

Answer: Don’t bother to look at your hand. Pass. Your preempt described your hand reasonably well, and your partner wants to play for a penalty. Trust him. In fact, your hand is better for defense than it might have been; you have the A-Q of your suit.

North dealer

N-S vulnerable

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