Losers times two

A church secretary might have recast this item in a weekly newsletter:

“The ‘Spiritually Spontaneous’ service will begin promptly at 4:30 as scheduled.”

Spontaneity is seldom a winning approach to dummy play. Good declarers plan, then play. In today’s deal, West led the king of hearts against four spades, and South ruffed and took the ace of trumps. He next tried a diamond to dummy’s jack. East produced the queen and led the queen of clubs, and the defense took three clubs for down one.

LOSER

South’s play was spontaneous but not accurate. He can pitch a diamond at Trick One — a loser-on-loser — instead of ruffing. If West shifts to a diamond, South takes the king, leads a trump to dummy’s eight and ruffs a heart. He takes the ace of diamonds, ruffs dummy’s last diamond, leads a trump to dummy and returns the queen of hearts, pitching a club: another loser-on-loser.

When West wins, he must lead a club, letting South’s king score, or concede a ruff-sluff.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: ♠ 7 ♥ AK 7 5 2 ♦ 87 4 ♣A 8 7 3. Your partner opens one spade, you respond two hearts, he rebids two spades and you try 2NT. Partner then bids three diamonds. What do you say?

ANSWER: This situation is awkward. Partner suggests six spades, four diamonds and minimum values. (Rarely, he might have five diamonds.) To insist on 3NT would be a clear error. A pass might be best. The textbook action is a return to three spades to play at the 6-1 fit. West dealer E-W vulnerable