DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

This week’s deals have treated a common theme: finding extra chances for your contract. Cover the East-West cards. You play at 3NT after a simple point-count auction. West leads the six of clubs, dummy plays the eight, and East follows with the three.

It looks as if West led from a fivecard suit, so you want to take the next eight tricks. What is your plan?

Count your tricks. You have seven sure tricks — three spades, one heart, two diamonds and one club — and need two more. Start by cashing the A-K of diamonds. When the queen falls from West, you’re up to eight tricks, so next take the queen, ace and king of spades.

When that suit breaks 3-3, you can lead a diamond to dummy’s jack and take the 13th spade. The ace of hearts will win your ninth trick.

If the queen of diamonds didn’t fall under the A-K, you would lead the queen of hearts for a finesse. If West had the king, you would win at least three hearts, at least three spades, two diamonds and one club.

Daily question

You hold: ♠ AK7 ♥ QJ75

♦ AK43 ♣ Q 4. You open one diamond, and your partner responds one spade. South in today’s deal then bid 2NT with this hand. Do you agree with that call?

Answer: I agree. South showed about 19 points, balanced. Holding only Q-4 in clubs was a flaw but not a fatal one. A raise to three spades would have been defensible, but a bid of two hearts — a strength-showing “reverse” — would have promised longer diamonds than hearts. South dealer

Neither side vulnerable