DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

Cy the Cynic says that if at first you don’t succeed, you’re probably about average. I think that even a below-average declarer should bring home today’s contract.

Against 3NT, West led the deuce of hearts. Declarer tried the jack from dummy, but East’s king covered.

South took the ace and still expected to succeed easily. He led a club to dummy’s king. He could win five club tricks — nine or more in all — even if West discarded. But when dummy led a second club, East pitched a spade.

South took the ace and next let the queen of spades ride. He hoped for three spades, three clubs, two diamonds and a heart. East won and returned a heart, and the defense cashed four hearts for down one.

Before South tries to succeed with a spade finesse, he can give himself an extra chance by taking the A-K of diamonds.

When the queen happens to fall, he has four diamonds, three clubs, a heart and a spade. If nothing good happened in diamonds, South would finesse in spades.

DAILY QUESTION You hold: S Q 6 H A 4

D A J 3 2 C A Q 10 8 2. Your partner opens one spade, you bid two clubs, he rebids two spades and you try three diamonds. Partner then bids three hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner suggests six spades, four hearts and minimum opening strength. (Sometimes he might have a hand with a heart holding such as A-x-x, with which he doesn’t want to be declarer at notrump.) Bid three spades, forcing. If you’re in the mood to gamble, bid six spades.