DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

“I know of two times to lead trumps,” a club player told me: “when you want to stop declarer from crossruffing, and when you have no clue what to lead.”

“When in doubt, lead trumps” is an old saw, but it’s a rare deal where no other lead will be attractive or clearly indicated. In today’s deal, North’s bidding showed a fair hand with heart support but no liking for spades. West’s opening lead was ... a trump.

South won and swiftly took three club tricks to pitch a diamond. He next led a spade: king, ace, three. East won the next spade and led another trump, and West took the ace and shifted to the queen of diamonds. South ruffed the second diamond, drew West’s last trump and took the rest, making four.

After North- South’s auction, a trump lead to stop spade ruffs in dummy would often be best, but here West had no spade tricks to protect. South probably would need no ruffs. If West leads the queen of diamonds, South loses two diamonds, a spade and a trump. DAILY QUESTION You hold: partner opens one spade, you respond 1NT, he bids two hearts and you return to two spades. Partner next bids three hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: Your partner has a good hand and is pursuing game. If he had minimum values, he wouldn’t have bid a third time just to tell you he has five cards in each major. Your hand could hardly be better. Your high spades and side ace are valuable cards. Bid four spades. South dealer Both vulnerable