BRIDgE

One compelling reason why expert partnerships get better results than lessexperienced players was on view here: virtually every defensive card played can and will be utilized to transmit some message.

After South’s strong, artificial and forcing opening bid (Precision-style), East and West got together in hearts before South took a flyer in four spades — very little room left for delicate, exploratory bidding!

And drew a very promising dummy for his gamble, especially after West’s reasonable lead of the heart ace set up dummy’s King.

A passive heart continuation or even a trump (or diamond) shift would have left declarer firmly in control but at trick one, East had pointed his partner in a different direction.

Since East’s heart length was known to his partner from the bidding (three hearts was a preemptive raise promising at least fourcard support), the size of the heart East played at trick one was agreed to be a suit preference signal.

In this case, East’s three of hearts promised something of value in clubs and about the only card that could be valuable in light of dummy’s length was the ace. Accordingly, West cashed the club King and played a second round to the ace for a third round that promoted the spade Jack as the setting trick.

After that lead, an unusually high heart from East would have shown a diamond value while a middle heart would have shown no particular preference for a shift to either minor to leave it up to West to do what he thought best.

That heart three was very eloquent — and effective!