DAILY BRIDGE CLUB:

This week’s deals have treated reading the cards as declarer: using logic to visualize what the defenders hold. Cover the East-West cards and try to make five clubs.

West leads the king of hearts and continues with the deuce to East’s ace. East then leads a diamond to dummy.

For the contract, how do you play the trumps?

In real life, the declarer noted that he had eight clubs. The percentage play was to finesse for the queen, so South led a trump to his jack. Down one.

Instead of relying on percentages, you should draw a logical inference from East’s defense. East knows from West’s lead of the deuce of hearts that you had three hearts. If East’s trumps were Q-x-x, he could beat you for sure by leading a third heart and forcing dummy to ruff.

Since East gave you a chance to take a finesse, you shouldn’t take it. Cash the A-K of trumps. Luckily, the queen drops, and you can draw the last trump and claim.

DAILY QUESTION: You hold: ♠ AK1053 ♥ J5◆ AKQ62 ♣ 8. You open one spade, your partner responds two hearts, you bid three diamonds and he raises to four diamonds. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner has 10 or more high-card points with four-card or better diamond support. Bid 4NT, Blackwood. If he shows one ace, bid six diamonds. If he shows two, bid 5NT. If he then shows one king, you can expect to take 13 tricks by setting up the spades or hearts. Bid seven diamonds.