Numbers 10 and 11 Downing Street When This Suit Is Your One Chance

FRIDAY, MAY 14, 2021 | PUZZLES www.dailypostathenian.com DAILY POST-ATHENIAN | B5 Thursday Puzzles CROSSWORD SUDOKU BRIDGE

North 05-13-21 9 5 K 6 3 2 A 5 4 A 6 3 2 West East A 10 8 7 2 Q J 3 8 4 Q J 10 9 7 8 6 3 J 10 9 2 Q 10 9 5 South K 6 4 A 5 K Q 7 K J 8 7 4 Dealer: South Vulnerable: Both South West North East 1NT Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass 3NT All Pass

Opening lead: 7

Numbers 10 and 11 Downing Street

By Phillip Alder

In London, the prime minister lives at 10 Downing Street, and the chancellor of the exchequer at No. 11. That is appropriate because the How to get started: man who deals with numbers is in the house with the more useful Use your logic to ﬁnd the bridge number — 11. Yesterday, we looked at the Rule correct number for each of Eleven. It helped third hand to square. When ﬁnished, all find the winning defense at trick nine rows across, all nine one. Sometimes, though, it gives assistance later in the play — as in columns down and all this deal. nine 3-by-3 boxes must After South, in answer to Stayman, contain all nine numbers, denied a four-card major, the contract was three no-trump. West 1 through 9, with no led the spade seven: five, jack, king. repeats. (We gave you Declarer played a club to dummy’s a head start with some ace and a club back. What should East have discarded? numbers already appear- South started with eight top tricks: ing in their proper place). one spade (given the first trick), two hearts, three diamonds and two Sudoku puzzles come in clubs. He was hoping for overtricks three skill levels: easy, if the clubs would run. However, Answer to medium and hard. those hopes were dashed when East previous puzzle discarded on the second round. Still, he might have survived, except that East applied the Rule of Eleven to the opening lead: 11 minus 7 is 4. So, there were four spades above the seven in the dummy, the East hand and declarer’s hand combined. And East had seen all four. So, West’s suit was ready to run. Also, from the auction West was known to have started with five or six spades. But West did not know who held the spade queen. If South had begun with K-Q-x of spades, West had to try to get East on lead for a spade play through declarer. To clarify matters for his partner, East discarded the spade queen.

PHILLIP ALDER

Friday Puzzles CROSSWORD SUDOKU BRIDGE

North 05-14-21 7 4 3 K 6 4 3 10 8 7 K Q 5 West East 9 2 K Q 10 8 5 J 9 8 5 2 10 K A 6 5 3 2 10 8 7 4 2 9 6 South A J 6 A Q 7 Q J 9 4 A J 3 Dealer: South Vulnerable: Neither South West North East 1 Pass 1 1 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass

Opening lead: 9

When this suit is your one chance

By Phillip Alder

Usually, when defending against a no-trump contract, you hope to win several tricks from one suit and a drib or drab from the other How to get started: three suits. However, getting those tricks from the long suit sometimes Use your logic to ﬁnd the requires a critical play or two. In this correct number for each deal, because East overcalled one square. When ﬁnished, all spade, West leads the nine of that suit. How should East defend? nine rows across, all nine South’s two-no-trump rebid shows columns down and all 18-19 points, more than a one-no- nine 3-by-3 boxes must trump opening but not enough to start with two no-trump. It is in contain all nine numbers, theory game-forcing. Responder 1 through 9, with no may pass only if he “miscounted” repeats. (We gave you his points on round one, bidding with three or four. a head start with some Now to the defense. The opening - lead marks South with the spade numbers already appear ace and jack. Also, if declarer has ing in their proper place). four spades, the contract is probably Sudoku puzzles come in ironclad. So, East must assume three skill levels: easy, that South has only three spades. Answer to Here is the key point: Whenever the medium and hard. defenders are trying to establish previous puzzle a suit in which declarer has two stoppers, they should drive out one of them as quickly as possible — and trick one isn’t too early. So, East must play the spade 10 (or eight), forcing South to win with his jack. Declarer will probably cash the heart ace and queen (hoping to take two spades, four hearts and three clubs), but when East discards a diamond, South will have to play a diamond. West wins with his king and returns his second spade, establishing East’s suit while East still has the diamond ace as an entry. If East plays the spade queen at trick one, declarer ducks and, here, is home free, as the expression goes.

PHILLIP ALDER