DAILY BRIDGE CLUB:

“Simple Saturday” columns are meant to help aspiring players improve technique.

In an “end play,” you give an opponent the lead when anything he leads will help you. An end play need not occur at the end of the play.

The presence of extra trumps often indicates the possibility of an end play, but in today’s deal, South has only eight. At two spades, he refuses the first heart, hoping West may shift, but West continues with the jack. South wins and exits with a heart, and then West must lead something to declarer’s advantage. Say the defense takes the A-K of diamonds and leads a diamond to dummy.

South next takes the A-K of trumps. When East’s queen falls, South can try to guess the queen of clubs for an overtrick.

If instead East-West played low trumps, South would lead a third trump. The defender who won would have to lead a red card, yielding a ruff-sluff, or lead a club.

DAILY QUESTION: You hold: ♠ 9 5 2 ♥ K Q J 7 ◆ A 10 5 ♣ 8 6 3. Your partner opens one diamond, you respond one heart and he rebids two diamonds. What do you say?

ANSWER: This case is close. Partner promises six or more diamonds, and if he has an ideal minimum such as A 10 4, 3, K Q 9 8 4 2, A 5 2, he will be a favorite to make 3NT. If you are vulnerable, raise to three diamonds. I would certainly raise with a slightly more promising hand such as 9 5 2, A K 7 2, Q J 5, 8 6 3.