BRIDGE

South dealer Both sides vulnerable

THIS week I’ve treated preventing your partner from making a mistake — a useful skill since partners often need such help.

Cover the West/South cards and defend as East. Against four hearts, West leads a club: queen, ace, king. What do you lead at the second trick?

In real life East shifted to his singleton seven of diamonds. South played the eight, and West had to guess. If the seven was a singleton, West had to win and return a diamond. But if East had led from a doubleton, West needed to play the ten, preserving communication so the defense could get two diamonds later. (West had to assume that East had a major-suit ace.)

Inevitably, West went wrong. When dummy’s king won, South drew trumps, forced out the ace of spades and threw three diamonds on dummy’s spades. He lost one diamond but made game.

East saves his partner by cashing the ace of spades at Trick Two. When he leads a diamond next, West will have no choice but to play East for a singleton.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: ♠ A 9 7 3 ♥10 7 ♦ 7 ♣A 10 8 6 4 3. Your partner opens one heart, you respond one spade and he rebids two hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: This problem is harder than it may appear. To pass and accept a plus score would be beyond reproach. Nevertheless, partner’s rebid promises a six-card or longer suit, and you have two aces and a possible ruffing value in diamonds. If you’re vulnerable, I would admire a raise to three hearts.