DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

A friend of mine who runs a mortuary says it’s a serious undertaking. After all, death is always just around the coroner. Many contracts meet an early demise: at the first trick.

In today’s deal, West led the eight of spades against four hearts. Declarer shrugged and played the nine from dummy, and that was the living end. East took the king and shifted promptly to the queen of clubs, and the defense took three clubs. Down one.

How would you play as South to avoid four losers?

Unblock: South can take the ace of spades, unblock his A-K of diamonds, lead a trump to dummy and return the jack of diamonds. When East plays low, South discards his last spade — a loser on a loser.

West takes the queen and does best to lead his last diamond. East ruffs dummy’s ten, but South overruffs, leads a trump to dummy and returns the ten of spades, ruffing East’s king. South gets back to dummy with a trump to pitch a club on the high nine of spades, losing two clubs and one diamond.

Daily question:

You hold: ♠ A109 ♥ QJ8 ♦ J1072 ♣ 5 3 2. The dealer, at your left, opens one diamond. Your partner doubles, you bid 1NT and he raises to 2NT. What do you say?

Answer: This is a judgment call. Your 1NT suggested six to 10 points, and the hand lies in the middle of that range. Since the diamond stopper is “slow,” I would bid 3NT, especially if vulnerable. With a hand suchasQ109,Q82,A432,532, containing a “primary” stopper, I would pass. South dealer N-S vulnerable