HOROSCOPE

Horoscope.com

Thursday, April 13, 2023

ARIES — Your level of physical and mental energy is high today, Aries. You may have been overindulging in food and drink lately, and so you could spend much of the day working out at the gym. Take a good book to read in the sauna, because you will also want the mental stimulation.

TAURUS — A memory, dream, vision, or meditation could trigger a rush of spiritual energy, Taurus. As a result, you might want to jot your experiences down so you won’t forget them. Try not to dwell on it too much. This isn’t the time to be reclusive! The process won’t stop. The insights should continue to come.

GEMINI — A message from a friend could make your day, Gemini. The good news may involve travel, money, or a love relationship. There could also be an intellectual matter that you’re anxious to look into, perhaps for the purpose of writing or teaching. A journey, possibly related to education, could be in the offing, perhaps with friends.

CANCER — The planetary energy leaves you in a contemplative mood, Cancer.

A lot of different possibilities have opened up for you recently, and you’re trying to figure out which is the most appropriate now. Sometimes it’s better to let things churn around in your subconscious for a while, and this could be one of those times. Forget it for now and have fun.

LEO — Talk of traveling to distant and exotic places could come up at a gathering of family and friends, Leo. Some of the talk is pure fantasy, but there are a few people among you who are genuinely serious about their plans. Are you considering going away for a while? If so, you might listen to what your friends have to say.

VIRGO — Career matters may be put on hold for a few days, Virgo, but your professional future probably won’t be far from your thoughts, even in the midst of time spent with family and friends. You want to improve your financial situation, and a number of possibilities have come up. Don’t mull them over too much now.

By FRANK STEWART Tribune Content Agency

Thursday, April 13, 2023

Preempts have been around forever. Players who embrace an undisciplined, hyperactive style tend to remember their triumphs and forget their losses.

There was nothing hyper about West’s preemptive jump to two spades; it would have been chosen by many players. But North-South still reached six hearts. West led the queen of clubs, and South won with the king, drew trumps, took the ace of clubs and ruffed dummy’s last club.

South next cashed three diamonds and, placing West with 6-1-2-4 distribution, played a low spade from both hands. The defender who won was end-played. Making six.

Blueprint

If West doesn’t bid, North-South will get to slam, but without a blueprint of the distribution, South may try for a 12th trick by taking the ace of spades and leading toward his queen. I’m certainly not anti-preemption, but you must accept occasional losses. You may induce the opponents to bid with all the more resolve and reach an unlikely contract, then help them judge the play.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: Q 5 3

LIBRA — So many fascinating ideas have come your way over the past few days that your mind is spinning. Some of what you’ve heard could be so radical that it will take some time to make sense of it. You could also want to memorialize your thoughts, perhaps by making some notes or writing an article. Watching TV might get your mind off it all and help you relax a little. Go to it!

SCORPIO — A deep, intimate conversation could take place today between you and a romantic interest, Scorpio. If this is a casual relationship, it may suddenly become more. If you’re involved but not committed, you could reach an understanding. If you’re already committed, there may even be talk of marriage.

SAGITTARIUS — This morning you may wake up from a dream with many inspiring new ideas. If you’re into creative activity of any kind, you will want to jot these ideas down, as well as possibilities for bringing them to the rest of the world. This could be through music, painting, writing, or any kind of art form.

CAPRICORN — A few extra things need to be done around the house today, Capricorn. A few more letters need to be written, a few more cleaning chores should be done, and you might still want to dress the place up a little. Your mood is very positive, and you should speed through these tasks with little energy drain. You will have plenty left for socializing tonight.

AQUARIUS — Children may be a part of your day today, Aquarius. You might attend a party for children or a larger gathering that includes them. At some point you might even be telling them a story. This will probably be as much fun for you as for your audience, who are likely to be very appreciative. Don’t be afraid to ham it up a little - they’ll love it!

PISCES — Books that you may have received as gifts could have you thinking deeply about spiritual or philosophical matters today, Pisces. Your mind is quicker than usual, so you can probably grasp some rather complex ideas. Your practical side could bring up doubts as to the applicability of what you’re learning, but don’t worry about that.

Sudoku

Codeword Puzzle

Q 9 5 3

Neither side vulnerable. The dealer, at your right,

INSTRUCTIONS

Fill in the grid so every row, every column and every 3-by-3 grid contains the digits 1 through 9. that means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box. Sudoku puzzles appear on the Diversions page Monday-Saturday and on the crossword solutions page in Saturday’s Life section.

Crossword Puzzle

Answers to previous CODEWORD

How to play Codeword

Codeword is a fun game with simple rules, and a great way to test your knowledge of the English language. Every number in the codeword grid is ‘code’ for a letter of the alphabet. Thus, the number 2 may correspond to the letter L, for instance. All puzzles come with a few letters to start. Your first move should be to enter these letters in the puzzle grid. If the letter S is in the box at the bottom of the page underneath the number 2, your first move should be to find all cells numbered 2 in the grid and enter the letter S. Cross the letter S off the list at the bottom of the grid. Remember that at the end you should have a different letter of the alphabet in each of the numbered boxes 1- 26, and a word in English in each of the horizontal and vertical runs on the codeword grid.

Puzzle

opens one spade. What do you say?

ANSWER: To enter the auction, you must weigh your prospects of gain against loss. If your partner has heart support and a decent hand, you might reach a makeable game. But that is against the odds, and if he has nothing, you may be doubled and clobbered. Your hand looks better for defense, especially with Q-x-x in spades. Pass. South dealer vulnerable