Occasional errors

“If you could eliminate the occasional bad shot ... you’d be the first person who ever did.” — John Jacobs, pro golfer.

Everyone makes errors; the winners keep the avoidable errors to a minimum. At today’s five clubs, South took the ace of spades and let the eight of trumps ride. West won, cashed a spade — East threw a diamond — and shifted to the queen of diamonds.

South took dummy’s ace, led a heart to his ace, drew trumps with the nine and jack, and tried a heart finesse with his ten. West produced the queen for down one. DIAMOND RUFFS

South committed a common error: the failure to count. After he takes the ace of diamonds, he can ruff a diamond and lead a trump to dummy. When East discards, South knows West had six spades, three trumps and two diamonds — so at most two hearts. If East has Q-9-8-6, he is always due a heart trick; a winning finesse won’t gain.

So South draws the missing trump and takes the A-K of hearts as his only chance. DAILY QUESTION You hold: ♠ A642 ♥ J42 ♦ AJ5 ♣ J 9 8. Your partner opens one club, you respond one spade and he raises to two spades. The opponents pass. What do you say?

ANSWER: This case is close. Your 11-point hand would usually call for a try for game though not a commitment to game. But the distribution is sterile, the trumps are poor and the three jacks make the hand worth less than its point count. If you’re vulnerable, try 2NT. Otherwise, pass. South dealer N-S vulnerable