DAILY BRIDGE CLUB:

My “Simple Saturday” columns are meant to help aspiring players sharpen their technique and develop logical thinking.

Cy the Cynic says that you only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough. When you are declarer, once is not enough. Don’t be satisfied with one chance for your contract.

At today’s four spades, East takes the ace of hearts and shifts to the nine of clubs: 10, jack, three. West gets out with a trump. You have lost two tricks and can lose only one more. The diamond finesse or a second club finesse may win.

Draw trumps and finesse in diamonds. If West wins and returns a diamond, you take the ace, ruff your last heart in dummy and take the jack of diamonds, discarding a club. As it happens, the 10 falls from East, so you can pitch your queen of clubs on the nine of diamonds and claim.

If the 10 of diamonds didn’t come down, you would fall back on a second club finesse.

DAILY QUESTION: You hold: ♠A K J 6 5 ♥ 6 2 ◆ AQ ♣ A Q 10 5. Both sides vulnerable. Dealer, at your left, opens three hearts. After two passes, you double, and your partner bids four diamonds. What do you say?

ANSWER: This is a headache; preempts will do that to you. You would have acted in the “balancing” position with fewer values, so to pass, though it might be right opposite a weak hand with long diamonds, would be questionable. Bid four spades.