DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

“Here’s a puzzle for you,” my friend the English professor said to me in the club lounge. “What weapon can be made from potassium, nickel and iron?”

The essence of bridge is problemsolving. Declarer may need to logically infer how the defenders’ cards lie, often making necessary assumptions. At today’s four hearts, South draws trumps, leads a spade to dummy’s king and returns a spade to his ten. West takes the jack and leads a low club, obliging South to guess whether to play the jack or king from dummy.

Ace of clubs: South should assume that the diamond finesse will lose; if East has the king, the contract is safe. But West didn’t open the bidding and had the A-J of spades, so South shouldn’t place him with the ace of clubs also.

South must play the jack of clubs from dummy. If he is wrong — East has the queen, West has the ace — South will make game anyway because East will have the king of diamonds.

Puzzle answer: K-Ni-Fe. This week: assumption as declarer.

Daily question You hold: ♠ K6 ♥ A9642

♦ 72 ♣ KJ 5 3. Your partner opens one spade, you respond two hearts and he rebids two spades. What do you say?

ANSWER: This problem is awkward. You have enough values to invite game but not to commit to game, hence you can’t force with a bid of three clubs. A bid of 2NT with such weak diamonds is impossible. Raise to three spades though you would prefer a third spade. Maybe partner has a six-card suit. West dealer

N-S vulnerable