DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

Second-hand play on defense seems easy: You obey the rule of “second hand low,” sit back and wait. Your partner gets to play last. Still, some situations are demanding and require judgment.

Today’s West leads the queen of hearts against four spades, and East signals with the nine. Declarer wins, draws trumps and leads a club toward dummy. West may feel compelled to grab his ace and cash what heart tricks he can, but he won’t beat the contract. South will pitch two diamonds on dummy’s K-Q of clubs.

Two tricks: To have a chance, West must assume his partner has the K-J of diamonds. If West ducks the first club, he loses his ace but gains two tricks. South loses two diamonds (and two hearts).

Such positions are common: A defender must decide whether to win or duck. Take your ace if you have the setting trick to cash or if you have no prospect of other tricks. But duck if winning will set up vital tricks for declarer, as in this deal.

This week: as second hand on defense.

Daily question

You hold: ♠ Q103 ♥ 763 ♦ AQ5 ♣ KQ 10 5. Your partner opens one heart, you respond two clubs and he bids two diamonds. What do you say?

Answer: In Standard methods, jump to three hearts to force. The alternative is to take a position and bid 3NT. The modern style in which a two-level response is game-forcing is helpful here: You could bid two hearts, forcing, leaving room to look for your best contract. That style has drawbacks as well as advantages. North dealer N-S vulnerable