USE YOUR CARDS TO HELP PARTNER

David Letterman quipped, “Traffic signals in New York are just rough guidelines.”

Poor bridge defenders are like that, failing to help partner to find the winning defense when it was within their purview to do so.

How can East-West defeat three spades in today’s deal? West leads his singleton heart, covered by the 10, queen and king. Declarer continues with the spade queen to East’s ace.

Note West’s preemptive jump to three clubs, showing five or more clubs and a weak hand. With at least game-invitational strength, he would have cue-bid two spades. After an opposing weak jump to the three-level, the responder with support for partner’s major bids one level higher than he would have if West had passed. So, his three-spade response indicated a sound single raise (nine losers). A jump to four spades would have promised a limit raise (eight losers); and a four-club cue-bid would have shown game-forcing values (at most seven losers).

At trick three, East gives his partner a heart ruff, and his choice of card sends a suit-preference signal telling partner whether his reentry lies in diamonds or clubs.

At Bridge Base Online, every East erred by returning the heart two. So each West, after ruffing, shifted to a club.

East should have been as clear as possible by leading the heart five. West would ruff and play a diamond. East would win as cheaply as possible, cash his second diamond winner and lead another heart to promote his partner’s last spade.

The defenders would take three spades and two diamonds.