FRANK STEWART BRIDGE

SIMPLE SATURDAY

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

You can play detective in today’s deal. Decide what errors were made. West led a club against six hearts. South won, drew trumps and led a spade toward dummy. West rose with his ace, and South had 12 tricks: six trumps, three spades, two clubs and a diamond.

How many errors were made? I can’t fault the bidding: Six hearts was a bold contract but not unreasonable. West’s opening lead of a club — the unbid suit — was also reasonable.

First Spade

West’s later defense was wrong. If he ducks the first spade, dummy wins, but East signals with the nine to suggest a doubleton. South can return to his hand with a high club to lead a second spade, but West ducks again. Then South can’t get back to lead a third spade and loses a diamond.

South erred. He should lead a spade at Trick Two. Then he has the entries to his hand to lead spades twice more and get three spade tricks.

Daily Question You hold:

K Q J 4 A3 AQ642 ♣7 ♠ ♥ ♦ 5. Your partner opens one heart. North in today’s deal bid two diamonds with this hand. Do you agree, or would you have tried one spade?

Answer: With a weaker hand such as K Q 4 3, 3 2, A 7 6 4 2, 7 5, to respond one spade, looking for a fit in the major, would have been correct. Since the actual hand was strong enough for several bids, the natural two-level response in the longest suit was fine.