DAILY BRIDGE CLUB:

I’ve heard an optimist described as someone with no inhibitions based on past experience. Here’s another deal where declarer must assume a friendly lie of the cards.

Somebody (maybe everybody) bid too aggressively in today’s deal. North was likely to have a singleton diamond to leap to an 11-trick contract, so South might have discounted the value of his king.

When West led the jack of hearts, South was faced with three red-suit losers. He took the ace of spades, ruffed a spade, led a trump to dummy and ruffed a spade. West’s king fell, but after South drew the missing trump, the Q-J of spades provided only two discards, and the slam failed.

South must play for a lie of the cards that will let him succeed. He must finesse with the jack of spades at Trick Two. He discards a heart on the ace and ruffs a spade. When West’s king falls, South draws trumps and throws two more hearts on the Q-7 of spades.

South’s only chance is to find West with K-x-x of spades.

DAILY QUESTION: You hold: K85 J103 A 10964 9 2. Your partner opens one spade, you bid two spades and he jumps to four hearts. The opponents pass. What do you say?

ANSWER: Though partner may have meant his four hearts as a “splinter bid” to show heart shortness and slam interest, the classical meaning is a strong two-suited hand. In any case, your hand is promising enough to cue-bid five diamonds. Partner may hold AQJ76,AQ965,2,AQ.