FRANK STEWART BRIDGE

SIMPLE SATURDAY

“Simple Saturday” columns focus on improving basic technique and logical thinking.

Defenders have two approaches against a notrump contract: They can establish and cash long cards in a suit, or they can prevent declarer from using his best suit so that he comes up short of winners. In today’s deal, West led the jack of spades against 3NT, and declarer won with the queen and next let the jack of diamonds ride. East hastily grabbed his queen to fire back a spade, returning his partner’s lead.

Third Spade

That defense was inadequate. South won with the king, forced out East’s ace of diamonds, won the third spade in dummy and ran the diamonds. He ended with 10 tricks.

East adopted the wrong approach. If West’s spades are K-J-10-x-x, the deck doesn’t have enough points for him to have an entry as well. East must instead try to stop declarer from using the diamonds. If East ducks the first diamond, South gets only one diamond trick and goes down against best defense. Daily Question You hold: ♠ A 7 5 ♥ 53 ♦ K 10 9 8 6 ♣6 5 3. Your partner opens one heart, you respond 1NT and he bids two diamonds. What do you say?

Answer: The problem is difficult using “Standard” methods. Partner’s second bid covers a wide range of hands: He may have as many as 18 points or as few as 12. If you pass, you may miss a game. Many players would want a bit more strength to raise to three diamonds, and a raise might get you too high. I would pass unhappily.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable