BRIDGE

This week’s deals have focused on deceptive play by the defenders. To test your guile, cover the West/South cards. Defend against six diamonds as East.

Your partner leads the deuce of clubs, and South wins with the ace and takes the A-K of trumps. West plays the four and nine. South next leads the three of spades: five, jack. How do you defend?

South clearly has a singleton spade. The bidding as well as West’s “count” signal with the five so indicate. You must hope declarer has a heart loser.

If you win the first spade with the queen and return a club to dummy, South will lead the king of spades for a successful ruffing finesse against your ace. He will set up two spades in dummy for heart discards and make the slam.

Your best chance is to win the first spade with the ace and return a club. Declarer will discard a heart on the king of spades, but next he will ruff a spade, hoping to drop “West’s” queen. Then he will lose a heart to West at the end.

DAILY QUESTION:

You hold: ♠ AQ843 ♥ J9 ◆3 ♣ J 10 8 4 3. Your partner opens one heart, you respond one spade and he bids two diamonds. What do you say?

ANSWER: The deal appears to be a misfit, so you must take care. A bid of 2NT would show about 11 points, and a bid of three clubs would be forcing and would show even more strength. Bid two hearts. If partner passes, the contract should be playable. If he bids on despite your show of weakness, you won’t mind.