DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

A player came to me in the club lounge with a sad tale.

“I once had a partner,” he told me, “who expected all his finesses to win. I forget his name, but his faith is familiar: My current partner is the same way.”

My friend said his partner was today’s South in a matchpoint duplicate game.

“I opened 1NT in second seat,” North said, “and he leaped to six spades, reasonably enough. West led the king of hearts, and my partner took the ace, ruffed a heart and let the queen of spades ride. East won and led a club, and partner ruffed and claimed, making six.”

“Our result for plus 1,430 wasn’t great; many Souths made seven. At least my partner didn’t bid seven.”

After South takes the ace of hearts, he can lead dummy’s king of clubs: a “discovery play.”

When East plays low, South can assume West has the ace. But West, who passed as dealer, also had the K-Q of hearts, so he won’t have the king of spades. South can lead to dummy’s ace to make a valuable overtrick. DAILY QUESTION You hold: S 10 8 H K Q 10 4 D 10 6 C A 9 6 3 2. Your partner opens one diamond, the next player bids one spade, and you double (negative). The player at your left raises to two spades, and your partner bids three hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: This case is close. Your partner may have competed aggressively with only a sound minimum hand. Still, you would have doubled with a weaker hand. Bid four hearts, especially if you are vulnerable.