DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

“If I were a car,” a club player told me glumly, “I would have a ‘ check brain’ light on my dashboard. I make too many losing plays as declarer.”

When my friend played at four spades, he won the second club and went after the diamonds.

“I led low to dummy’s king,” he said.“East won, cashed a club and shifted to the king of hearts. I took the ace, threw a heart on the queen of diamonds and ruffed a diamond, but when East showed out, I was sunk. I had to lose a heart.”

South had a brain malfunction. East’s opening bid marks him with the ace of diamonds, so at Trick Three South must play a low diamond from both hands. East wins with the ten, cashes a club and leads the king of hearts, but South wins and ruffs a diamond. When East’s ace falls, South draws trumps and discards two hearts on the K- Q of diamonds.

If East followed low to the second diamond, South would ruff, take the Q- J of trumps and lead the king of diamonds for a ruffing finesse through East. DAILY QUESTION You hold: ♠A K 10 8 6 3 ♥J 5 3 ♦ 2 ♣ A8 2. Your partner opens one heart, you respond one spade and he rebids two hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: Slam is possible if your partner has the right cards: the ace of diamonds ( but not the K- Q) and good trumps. To help him judge, “bid out your pattern.” Bid three clubs, planning to show heart support next. If partner has a hand such as 2, AK10 8 4 2,A 7 6, K 6 5, he shouldn’t hesitate to bid six hearts. East dealer E- W vulnerable