DAILY BRIDGE CLUB:

“Simple Saturday” columns focus on improving basic technique.

Part of becoming a good declarer is learning to avoid plays that look instinctively right but are not.

Against 3NT, West leads the 10 of spades, a suit in which declarer has three winners. It’s often right to take the winner in the shorter hand first — to make it easy to cash the other two winners. So South won with the ace and led the queen of clubs. Both East and West played low, and South lacked the entries to set up and cash the clubs. The diamonds didn’t treat him well either, and he won only eight tricks.

South must reject the instinctive play and win the first spade in dummy, temporarily blocking the suit. He next leads a club. If both defenders duck, South leads another club.

South can then win the spade return in his hand, force out the other high club and reach his hand with the ace of hearts for the good clubs. He makes an overtrick.

DAILY QUESTION:

You hold: ♠ KQ43 ♥ K4 ◆ AK853 ♣ 6 4. Your partner opens one heart. The next player passes. What do you say?

ANSWER: The proper response is two diamonds. If partner rebids two hearts, as he often will, you can continue with an economical bid of two spades. Since you have enough strength to force to game, show your suits in the logical order: longest first. With a weaker hand—KQ43,K4,Q985 3, 6 4 — you would respond one spade.