DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

Once I was playing with a pupil, and our opponents bid to four spades. My partner led the king of diamonds from A-K-7-3, and dummy tabled Q-9-4. I had the doubleton 10-2 and signaled with the 10, encouraging a continuation. My partner duly led the ace next. I followed with my deuce, and he ... shifted. Declarer swiftly wrapped up a contract that would have failed if I could have ruffed a third diamond lead.

“Didn’t you see my 10 of diamonds?” I asked my pupil.

“I saw the 10,” he replied, “and I figured you wanted me to lead more diamonds. But when you played the deuce next, I thought you’d changed your mind.”

Signals — “attitude,” “count” and “suit preference” — can direct the defense. An attitude signal encourages or discourages the lead or continuation of a suit; count tells how many cards you hold in a suit. Suit-preference may in unusual circumstances draw attention to a high-ranking or low-ranking suit.

Today’s West leads his singleton club against four spades, and East wins with the king. If East continues with the ace and a third club, declarer can ruff high, draw trumps and discard his losing heart on the good club in dummy. He leads a diamond toward his king and loses only one more trick, making his game.

A pretty defense beats four spades. At Trick Two, East must return the deuce of clubs, his lowest club as a suit-preference signal suggesting diamond strength. When West ruffs, he leads a diamond, and East takes the ace and leads another low club. South must ruff, and then he doesn’t get his heart discard and loses a heart for down one.

East dealer

N-S vulnerable