DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

“Simple Saturday” columns focus on improving basic technique and logical thinking.

As I have written many times, bridge is a problemsolving game. The reason we play — why we find the game so compelling — is the thrill of facing a problem and working it out with logical thought.

In today’s deal, West led the ten of hearts against four spades.

Declarer took dummy’s ace, and East followed with the three. South then led a trump to his ace and a second trump, and West took his king — and cashed his king of hearts. When he next led the ten, South ruffed and ran the diamonds for two club discards, making five.

“I could have cashed my ace of clubs to stop the overtrick,” West shrugged.

West missed an easy inference. If South had the queen of hearts, he would have let the opening lead ride to his queen, so West could place East with the queen. When West takes the king of trumps, he can lead a low heart, and when East wins and returns a club, South goes down. DAILY QUESTION You hold: S Q 10 3 H A 8 4 D A K 10 6 4 C 7 3. Your partner opens one club, you respond one diamond and he raises to three diamonds. What do you say?

ANSWER: You may have a slam. Your partner promises a hand worth at least 16 points with four-card diamond support. Since he did not open 1NT, his pattern won’t be balanced. Bid three hearts. If partner bids three spades next, you might jump to six diamonds. His hand might be A 5 4, 3, Q J 7 5, A K J 6 5.