Bridge

Simple Saturday

“Simple Saturday” columns

focus on basic technique and logical thinking.

Some people want to act decisively — but aren’t sure whether it’s a good idea. In some situations on defense, the right path should be clear enough.

Against South’s four spades, West led the queen of clubs, and East won and returned a club to the king. Declarer drew trumps, forced out West’s ace of hearts and claimed an overtrick. He could discard his two losing diamonds on dummy’s good hearts.

QUICKLY

A quality of a good defender is the ability to distinguish the times when he needs tricks quickly from the times when he can wait. To beat four spades, East must hope West has a trick in hearts or trumps, but on the bidding West can hardly have tricks in both suits. So East must hope West has the queen of diamonds.

Dummy’s hearts are a threat to provide South with discards. Since the defense needs diamond tricks in a hurry, East must be decisive and shift to the deuce of diamonds at Trick Two.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: ♠ A Q J 10 6 4 ♥ Q 6♦ 9 7 4 ♣ K 6. Your partner opens one heart, you respond one spade and he bids two clubs. What do you say?

ANSWER:

Ajump to three spades would be ideal if forcing, but almost all pairs treat a secondround jump by responder in his own suit as invitational to game. You would bid three spades with A J 10 9 4 2, Q 6, 9 7 4, K 6. Your actual hand has all useful honors and a self-sustaining suit, hence bid four spades. South dealer Both sides vulnerable