DAILY BRIDGE CLUB:

“I read your columns,” Unlucky Louie told me in the club lounge. “You’re always on my case for playing too fast.”

“Rightly so,” Rose remarked. She says hasty play is Louie’s nemesis.

“There are plenty of times when the right play needs no thought,” Louie sniffed.

To make his case for haste, Louie produced today’s deal. He had been East, defending against four hearts.

“My partner led the deuce of diamonds,” Louie said, “and when I took the ace, declarer dropped the queen — a likely singleton. What would you lead next?”

“I see your point,” I said. “East must hope West has a club honor or, less likely, a trump trick. The defense also needs two spade tricks — quickly, before South can discard on the clubs. So East must lead the eight at Trick Two, hoping South has three low spades.”

“It took me a split second to find that shift,” Louie said. “South went down.”

Louie defended well. Playing without thinking is a bad habit to cultivate.

DAILY QUESTION: You hold: ♠ KQ4 ♥ A ◆ 107 63 ♣ Q J 10 7 6. You open one club, and your partner responds one heart. What do you say?

ANSWER: No second bid is ideal, but partner’s response in a new suit is forcing, so you must bid something. A rebid of two clubs would suggest a sixcard suit but would be the choice of some experts. A bid of two diamonds would be a strength-showing “reverse.” I would try 1NT.