Simple Saturday

“Simple Saturday” columns are meant to improve basic technique and develop logical thinking.

To do well at bridge, you must know the techniques of bidding and play, but technique won’t help if you’re thinking about where to go for dinner.

Today’s West led a low diamond against 3NT, and East won with the ace and led the queen ... winning. South won a spade shift and forced out the ace of clubs. After West took his king of diamonds, South claimed. Making three.

DOWN ONE

West lost focus. He missed dummy’s 9-8 of diamonds. West can overtake East’s queen with the king, lead the ten to force out South’s jack, and cash two diamonds when he takes the ace of clubs. That defense could not give South a ninth trick; since South had not responded in a major suit, he had at most seven major-suit tricks to cash.

South probably had J-x-x-x in diamonds for his bid of 2NT. Moreover, if East had A-Q-x, he might have played the queen at Trick One.

Focus is 50 percent of success.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: ♠ A 8 ♥ K 987 ♦ 9 8 ♣ K Q 10 9 8. You open one club, and your partner responds one spade. The opponents pass. What do you say?

ANSWER: You have two reasonable options. One is to rebid two clubs. That bid suggests six or more clubs, but your strong fivecarder will suffice. The other option (my choice) is to bid 1NT, showing a minimum balanced hand. You must not bid two hearts, which would be a strength-showing “reverse” and might get you too high.

North dealer

N-S vulnerable