DAILY BRIDGE CLUB:

Early in the Spingold Teams at the Summer NABC, Nick Nickell’s top-seeded team was upset by a squad from Australia/new Zealand.

The match was close when today’s deal arose. At one table, NICKELL’S Eastwest played at four hearts, down two, minus 200.

In the replay, on the auction shown, the secondround double by North for NICKELL was responsive; most players would have bid two spades. When South competed to three spades, North’s normal action was a pass; but he broke discipline and went on to game.

The defense took two hearts, and East led his stiff club. Declarer avoided a calamity when he took the ace, but he was down one, minus 100.

I can’t be too critical of the four-spade bid: If the opening bidder had held the king of clubs, game would have made. Still, if NICKELL is plus 140 at the second table and minus 100 at the first (where declarer could have saved a trick), they would have won an IMP instead of losing seven. And the final score was 104 to 97.

DAILY QUESTION:

You hold: ♠ KJ32 ♥ 86

◆ K8 ♣ Aq852.your partner opens one diamond. The next player passes.

What do you say?

ANSWER: Respond two clubs. Were your hand weaker and worth only one forward-going bid, you would use it to look for a fit in the major: You would respond one spade. As it is, you have enough to commit to game, so you can bid naturally: long suit first. If partner rebids two diamonds, bid two spades next.