Be constructive, not just critical

Criticism is a touchy subject. Former British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan said, “I have never found in a long experience of politics that criticism is ever inhibited by ignorance.” Whereas Noel Coward is attributed with claiming, “I can take any amount of criticism, so long as it is unqualified praise.” But for most of us, criticism is hardest to accept from our spouse or bridge partner.

If you think partner made a mistake on a deal, discuss it calmly after the session.

In today’s deal, South was in four spades. After West led the diamond queen, declarer saw only nine tricks -seven spades, one diamond and one club -- so he threw in the towel and conceded down one. South then suggested that his partner should have passed out three spades. He pointed out that his opening bid promised six winners, and North had only three to contribute.

North apologized, but after the session, what did he point out to his partner?

If North had passed, East would surely have made a balancing takeout double. If West had advanced with four clubs, that contract would have made unless South received a heart ruff.

South should have realized that he had to establish a 10th winner in hearts.

After taking trick one, declarer concedes a heart trick. The defenders cash their two diamond winners and shift to a club. But South wins on the board, ruffs a heart high (not with the three), plays a spade to the 10, ruffs another heart high, returns to the board with a spade to the ace and ruffs a third heart high. Finally, he leads the conserved spade three to dummy’s five and cashes the heart nine.