Bridge Signaling confusion A reader writes

that the array of defensive signals has him as confused as a chameleon in a bag of Skittles.

“How can these different types of signals not get in each other’s way?” he writes. “When my partner signals, I don’t know what message he’s trying to send.”

Effective signaling requires experience and judgment, but it’s not hard in principle. Signals follow a priority. Treat a signal as “attitude” first — liking/disliking a suit. If attitude can’t apply, treat a signal as “count.” In unusual circumstances, a strikingly high or low card may be “suit preference” to show strength in a high- or lowranking suit.

You mustn’t assume every card partner plays is a signal. That’s where judgment comes in. Treat his card as a signal if you need the information — and he knows you need it.

In today’s deal, West leads the king of hearts against four spades. Which heart should East play? In real life, he signaled with the queen, and then West led a low heart. Declarer ruffed, cashed the A-K of trumps and ran the clubs. He made an overtrick.

A diamond shift at Trick Two beats four spades. All East had to do was play his deuce on the first heart, an “attitude” signal asking West for the obvious shift. That could only be to diamonds since if East had a club trick, he would always get it.

Incidentally, various signaling methods exist, but standard methods will handle almost all signaling problems. Methods such as upsidedown and odd-even signals are harder to remember and may cause ethical dilemmas. South dealer

Neither side vulnerable

The numbers in

the black cells are clues. Numbers above the slash are across clues, numbers below the slash are down clues. The goal is to enter digits 1-9 in the white cells to add up to the number clues. You cannot enter any digit more than once when adding up a clue.

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