DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

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

When you are declarer, the first trick is a time of hope and promise. All things are possible. You haven’t goofed yet. Before you play a card, form a plan. Look for pitfalls.

Against today’s 3NT, West led the ten of hearts, and declarer hastily and thoughtlessly played the jack from dummy. Maybe he thought the finesse would win, but East’s queen covered.

Declarer took the ace and let the nine of clubs ride, and East won with the queen and led another heart, forcing out dummy’s king. When declarer led a spade to his hand and tried another club finesse, East won. Down three.

South must play low from dummy on the first heart, take his ace and let the nine of clubs ride. When East wins, he can’t profit by leading another heart. South can win the (say) spade return. He loses another club finesse but still has a heart entry to the long clubs. Making four. DAILY QUESTION

You hold:

diamond, and your partner bids one heart. What do you say?

ANSWER: This is an uncomfortable problem. A jump-shift to two spades would force to game and might get you overboard; partner could have only six points. A rebid of one spade may end the auction when your side can make game, but that is the call I would choose. This type of problem is why some pairs have adopted “strong club” systems. South dealer

Both sides vulnerable