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Bridge 12/04
The mag comes to your inbox
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    Bridge Today magazine, which is edited by Pamela and Matthew Granovetter, arrives each month not through the mail but over the Internet to your inbox. (Buy three-hole-drilled paper and put the issues into a ring binder.)
    It aims squarely at duplicate players. This deal is taken from last May’s issue, which was dedicated to Al Roth. Sitting North, what would you open?
    Then, look at South’s hand. North opens one club or one diamond. What would you respond in each case?
    Finally, you are South in three no-trump. West leads the heart three: two, queen, ace. How would you continue?
    Most experts open one diamond when 4-4 in the minors. Roth believed in one club, which works better in uncontested auctions, but might make life awkward if the opponents intervene.
    Over one diamond, South would probably bid an unappetizing two no-trump with two suits unstopped. Over one club, though, South can respond one diamond.
    In three no-trump, you have eight top tricks.
    If you lead a club to dummy’s king, play a diamond to your hand, and take a losing club finesse, East will return a low heart, putting you to a guess.
    Better is to cash the ace and king of clubs. When the queen drops, you are home. But if she does not appear, play a third club. If West takes the trick, you are safe. Only if East wins, when the finesse was failing anyway, will you have to guess hearts.
    Full details are available at www.bridgetoday.com.

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