DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

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

The ubiquitous Murphy’s Law applies to dummy play: Whatever can go wrong, will — and at the most inopportune time. Against today’s four spades, West led the king of clubs and continued with the ace and eight. South ruffed East’s ten and saw a possible overtrick by ruffing two diamonds in dummy. He took the A-K and led a third diamond, ruffing with dummy’s six.

Whatever can go wrong, will — and did. East overruffed with the ten and returned a trump, and South’s jack of diamonds was a loser at the end.

Down one.

Part of your planning as declarer is to ask yourself what can possibly go wrong, then play as safely as you can. South must ruff the third diamond with dummy’s ace of trumps.

South takes the ace of hearts, returns to his hand with a heart ruff and ruffs his last diamond with the six. The defenders get only East’s ten of trumps, and South makes his game. DAILY QUESTION You hold: S A 6 H A J 7 3 2 D A 6 C 9 4 3 2. Your partner opens one diamond, you respond one heart and he bids one spade. What do you say?

ANSWER: At your second turn as responder, you often have enough information to place the contract or suggest a contract, but that is not so here. Your partner’s strength and distribution are both undefined. Bid two clubs, a forcing bid in a new suit. When you hear his next bid, you may have a better idea what to do.