DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

This week I’m treating declarer’s counting and drawing inferences. Today’s North balanced with a double after East- West came to rest at two spades. If South had known that East- West had only seven trumps, he might have passed for penalty, but South took out to three clubs.

West led the king and jack of diamonds, and East took dummy’s queen and led a diamond for West to ruff. West then led a spade: four, king, ace. South had a heart to lose and had to pick up the trumps to make the contract.

The techniques of counting and inference can be combined, and South had an inferential count of the distribution. West had two diamonds, and he had only four spades since East needed three- card support to raise. But if West had held four hearts, he would have responded one heart, showing his four- card suits “up the line.”

So South knew West’s pattern was 4- 3- 2- 4. South cashed his king of trumps and led to the jack. He took the ace, forced out the ace of hearts and claimed. DAILY QUESTION You hold: - ner opens one diamond, you respond one heart and he bids two clubs. What do you say?

ANSWER: Since as little for partner will offer a play for seven diamonds, you must try to reach slam. If a jumppreference to three diamonds is forcing in your style, that call is reasonable. An option is to bid two spades, then support the diamonds to show a strong hand with club shortness. East dealer Neither side vulnerable