“If you misuse a word, at least have the humidity to admit it.” — graffiti

When I watched today’s deal at my club, East was an inexperienced player who had ventured into the penny Chicago game. South’s jump to four hearts was aggressive, I thought, but he wanted the vulnerable game bonus, and no other second bid was especially attractive with his hand.

West found the lead of a low spade, and East took the ace and returned a spade: ten, jack. West then led the king, and when dummy ruffed with the nine, East resolutely overruffed with his jack. He next led a club, and declarer won and cashed the A-K of trumps. West’s queen succumbed, and South drew East’s last trump with the ten and claimed, making four.

“You can beat it,” West pointed out. “Discard on the third spade instead of overruffing, and you get two trump tricks.”

“I saw a chance to win a trick,” East shrugged, “and I grabbed it.”

East’s defense was all wet. It is seldom right, and often wrong, to overruff with a trump winner you rate to get anyway.

Daily question: You hold: ? 9 4 ? 9 ? A K 9 5 3 ? 10 6 5 4 2. Your partner opens one heart, you respond 1NT and he rebids two hearts. What do you say?

Answer: Pass — and if a different action crossed your mind, don’t tell anybody. Your partner has at least six hearts but minimum opening values. Game is impossible. It is conceivable that a better contract exists, but to look for one would be speculative and dangerous. When the deal seems to be a misfit and you have no compensating high-card strength, just stop bidding.

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