IF YOU KNOW, TAKE CONTROL

Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote, “Self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-control / These three alone lead life to sovereign power.”

When a defender at the bridge table realizes how to defeat the contract, he should endeavor to take control. Partner might not be seeing the deal in the same light.

In today’s deal, how should the defense go against three notrump after West leads the diamond four?

What should North respond after his partner has opened one no-trump?

To answer that question first, North should raise straight to three no-trump. It is unlikely that three no-trump will fail and five clubs will succeed. Even if you employ transfers into a minor, reserve them for hands that are weak; or slam-going; or at least game-going with a major-suit singleton (or void), which you show on round two.

At a Bridge Base Online duplicate, several Wests led a low spade, which gave South an easy 10 tricks.

The diamond start was usually much more successful. However, at two tables, after a diamond to the king and the diamond three back, when West cashed his second diamond honor, the Easts threw the nine. Then West took the last diamond trick with his seven.

West wondered why he was still on lead. Surely the answer had to be because East held the spade king, so both Wests shifted to that suit.

Since East had an ace, he should have kept his diamond nine for the fourth round of the suit and cashed his heart ace to defeat the contract.