HOW TO TELL PARTNER WHICH SUIT TO LEAD

Raymond Teller wrote in a letter, "We did not start as friends, but as people who respected and admired each other. Crucial, absolutely crucial for a partnership."

He was talking about Penn Jillette and himself, but he could have been discussing bridge players. In particular, it is important to trust your partner's cards when you are on defense.

How should East-West card to defeat three spades? What do you think of the auction?

In the bidding, South sensibly overcalled one spade. (A few players would have intervened with one notrump to describe their hand strength. It is much better to look for a spade fit first and keep no-trump on the back burner.) Over one spade, West should have made a negative double to show his minor-suit length. When he passed, North made a pre-emptive jump raise to show four-card support and a weak hand. (With at least game-invitational values, North would have cue-bid two hearts.) South was tempted to bid higher, but with those potentially useless diamond honors, he wisely passed.

Against three spades, West led his heart. East wasn't sure that it was a singleton, but just in case, she won with her ace and returned the queen, her highest heart being a suitpreference signal for diamonds, the higher-ranking of the other two side suits.

West ruffed away declarer's heart king and shifted to his diamond five, low guaranteeing at least one honor in the suit. East won with her ace and cashed the heart jack, West discarding the club two. Now East returned a diamond to defeat the contract, although a fourth heart would have worked also..