BRIDGE

SIMPLE SATURDAY

“Simple Saturday” columns focus on improving basic technique and developing logical thinking. Counting the distribution of the concealed hands is supposed to be strictly the province of the expert player, but nothing about it is arcane. Anyone can do it. You’re declarer at today’s 6NT. You count 11 tricks: four spades, three hearts, three clubs and a diamond. You need a fourth heart trick and want to know whether the missing hearts are split 3-3 or whether East may hold J-x-x-x. To get a count, you will play the other suits and watch the fall of the cards.

DISCARDS

To facilitate, lead your nine of diamonds at Trick Two. Say East wins and leads another spade. You take three spades (East discards a club), the ace of diamonds (he discards another club) and three clubs (West throws a diamond). You have a complete count: West had four spades, five diamonds and two clubs, so two hearts. Take the A-Q of hearts, and when no jack appears, lead a heart to your ten. Easy!

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: ♠ K 5 ♥ Q 5 ♦ 7 6 5 4 2 ♣ Q 6. Your partner opens one club. The next player passes. What do you say? ANSWER: To respond one diamond, forcing, would not be a grave error; you would intend to bid notrump next. But I believe in making the bid that best describes a hand. Jump to 2NT, promising a balanced 13 to 15 points with stoppers in the unbid suits. If partner raises to 3NT, pass. If he does anything else, you will avoid notrump.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable