BRIDGE

PRESERVING AN EXIT

Every flower must go though some dirt before it blooms. In the process of becoming proficient at bridge, you’ll make mistakes. The idea is to learn from them. Today’s West leads the king of spades against five diamonds: three, nine from East, four. How should West continue? West actually led a second spade. South ruffed, led a trump to dummy, ruffed a spade, led a trump to dummy and ruffed the last spade. He next led the A-K and a third club.When West won, he was end-played. He had to lead a heart, and South put up dummy’s queen and made his game.

SPADE LOSER

For West to lead a second spade looked obvious, but “obvious” plays are suspect. If South has a second spade loser, he has no way to avoid it.West must defend passively by leading a trump at Trick Two, preserving a spade as a safe exit card. South lacks the entries to ruff out dummy’s spades and can’t pull off his end play. I’ve never played an error-free session. Everyone makes errors. Profit from them.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: 10 6 5 3 Q 6 A K 2 J ♠ ♥♦ ♣ 5 4 2.Your partner opens one heart,

South dealer, N-S vulnerable

you respond one spade, he bids two diamonds and you try 2NT. Partner next bids three hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner seems to have six hearts and four diamonds. If he had minimum values with that pattern, he would have rebid two hearts to limit his strength. Since you have three useful honors, raise happily to four hearts. Partner may hold 7, AK J 8 5 2, Q 10 7 6, A 3.