DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

I asked my friend the English professor to define “discern.” He said — wisely, I think — that the word doesn’t mean telling right from wrong, but telling right from almost right.

Today’s West led the three of diamonds against 3NT, East played the jack and South took his ace. He led a heart to dummy’s ace and returned the 10 of spades to finesse.

West won and led another diamond, and the defense cashed three diamonds. Declarer threw clubs. West then exited with a heart. South took his major-suit winners and the ace of clubs, but he lost the 13th trick to East’s king of clubs. Down one.

Was South’s play un-discerning or unlucky?

South had to discern which blacksuit finesse to try. Either finesse was a 50-50 shot, but to lead the 10 of spades would gain only if East had K-x-x. If he held K-x or K-9-8-x, South would still get only three spade tricks. But a winning club finesse would certainly gain a trick.

South must lead a club to his queen at Trick Three.

Daily question

You hold: ♠ K63 ♥ 10752 ♦ K1063 ♣ 10 6. Your partner opens one spade, and the next player overcalls two hearts. What do you say?

Answer: Go ahead and raise to two spades. A “free bid” in a new suit may suggest a sound hand, but a “free raise” has no such significance. You can’t afford to conceal a fit for your partner’s major suit even if your strength is minimum. If your opponent had jumped to three hearts, then you would be inconvenienced. South dealer

N-S vulnerable