DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

This week’s deals have treated drawing inferences: declarer’s use of clues from the bidding, the opening lead and the defenders’ play. To test yourself, cover the EastWest cards.

Say you open one heart after three passes, West overcalls two clubs, and North leaps to four hearts — an overreaction to his five- card trump support. ( No doubt he added a few points for your dummy play.)

West leads a low club: three, king, ace. At Trick Two you lead the king of trumps. West takes the ace, and East follows low. West cashes the queen of clubs and next leads a low diamond, and you must guess. Do you play the jack or the king from dummy?

West, a passed hand, has shown the queen of clubs and the ace of hearts, and you must assume he has the king of spades. So you can’t place West with the ace of diamonds as well. Play the jack of diamonds.

This is an example of a “second- degree assumption.” You assume the cards lie a certain way and follow the consequences of your assumption. DAILY QUESTION You hold: dealer, at your right, opens one diamond. What do you say?

ANSWER: To double for takeout would work well if partner responded in spades, but if he bid two clubs, your hand wouldn’t be strong enough to try two hearts, and you might miss a 5- fit. Overcall one heart, getting your long suit mentioned. If partner has no tolerance for hearts but has spades, maybe he will bid them. West dealer Both sides vulnerable