DAILY BRIDGE CLUB:

“Simple Saturday” columns focus on basic technique and logical thinking.

Cy the Cynic observes that a common malady during the holiday season is “gift amnesia”: a temporary memory loss that causes you to accidentally recycle gifts back to people who gave them to you last year.

Some bridge players have a similar problem. They forget an auction that occurred just prior to the play. Against today’s four spades, West cashed the K-A of hearts and led the queen. East threw diamonds. South ruffed, shrugged and took the A-K of trumps. He lost a trump and a club to East. Down one.

“‘Eight ever, nine never’ failed me,” South said.

With a nine-card holding missing the queen, to finesse is only slightly inferior to taking the A-K. If you have a clue to guide your play, don’t fear to act on it.

Here, West is known to have seven hearts, East one. East has much more room for spades, and the odds shift. South should take the ace of trumps, go to dummy and let the jack ride.

DAILY QUESTION:

You hold: ♠ AK973 ♥ 74 ◆ J63 ♣ A 6 5. You open one spade, your partner responds two hearts, you rebid two spades and he rebids three hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: In “Standard” methods, partner shows long hearts and about 10 high-card points; his second bid is not forcing. (Even in a style where a two-over-one response is game-forcing, many pairs treat this sequence as not forcing.) Pass. You might try four hearts if vulnerable.