DO NOT FORGET THE BIDDING DATA

According to a 1982 survey of American and Canadian psychologists, Albert Ellis was considered the second most influential psychotherapist in history. (Carl Rogers ranked first and Sigmund Freud was third.) Ellis said, “The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You don't blame them on your mother, the ecology or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny.”

In this week’s deals, one defender takes control to try to defeat the contract. And sometimes that requires paying careful attention to the auction.

In today’s deal, West leads the heart king against four spades. What happens after that?

West’s three-heart jump overcall was weak, showing a good six-card suit and 6-10 high-card points. Against a weak jump overcall, responder, with support for partner’s major, bids one more than he would have done if the intervenor had passed. Here, a three-spade response would have shown a decent single raise. His actual jump to game indicated gameinvitational values. (And with more, he would have cue-bid four hearts, which would have said nothing about his holding in hearts.)

An East who is not thinking would signal encouragement at trick one with his heart eight. But South would ruff the second heart, draw trumps, and run the clubs for 10 tricks.

From West’s bid, East knows that South has a singleton heart. So East must take control. He overtakes his partner’s king with his ace and shifts to the diamond queen. Here, that works like a charm.