DAILY BRIDGE CLUB:

“I made a mistake,” East shrugged after South wrapped up his game contract. “Life doesn’t come with an instruction manual.”

After South jumped boldly to four hearts, West led the seven of spades, and East took the ace and returned a spade to the 10 and jack. West then led the king, and when dummy ruffed with the nine, East overruffed with the jack.

South won East’s club shift and cashed the A-K of trumps. West’s queen fell, so South drew East’s last trump with the 10 and claimed the rest.

It’s true that life doesn’t come with a user’s manual, but there are some good books on bridge out there. If East had read one on basic defensive play, he might have beaten four hearts. The book would tell him that a defender is seldom right to overruff with a trump trick he will get anyway. When dummy ruffs the third spade, East should discard. Then the defense gets two trump tricks instead of one, and South goes down.

DAILY QUESTION: You hold: ♠A 6 ♥ J 8 4 2 ◆ K 84 2 ♣ J 8 7. The dealer, at your left, opens one spade. Your partner doubles, and the next player bids two spades. What do you say?

ANSWER: Your partner has opening values with support for the unbid suits, and you have nine points. To sell to two spades would be too timid. Since partner is likely to have good support for the other major, bid three hearts. If the opponents go to three spades, you’ll try for a plus on defense.