Daily Bridge Club

Simple Saturday

“Simple Saturday” columns are meant to help advancing players improve their technique and logical thinking.

Beginning players tend to pay scant attention to their discards. “Keep winners, throw losers” is often a guide. But some discards are “informative” and help partner with his defense.

Today’s West leads a low heart against 3NT: three, queen, king. South leads a diamond to dummy’s ace and returns a diamond.

East discards the deuce of hearts, and South plays the jack. When West wins, he may not be sure how to continue. East’s play of the queen of hearts marks South with the jack, and if South still has J-x, West must find East with an ace as an entry for a heart return.

SOLVED

If West trusts East’s discarding, his problem is solved. East’s deuce of hearts says he had an original fourcard holding.

If East began with Q-9-2, he would discard the nine. (With only two hearts, he wouldn’t discard his last one.) So West can confidently lay down his ace for down one.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: ♠ J 10 6 ♥ A10765 ♦ Q 8 4 ♣ J 10. Your partner opens 1NT. The next player passes. What do you say?

ANSWER: Most pairs handle this hand with a “transfer” response of two diamonds, asking partner to bid two hearts. Then they bid 2NT, showing about eight points with a five-card suit, and let him place the contract. He can pass, correct to three hearts, bid 2NT or 3NT, or jump to four hearts. With three tens, the hand is well worth inviting game. South dealer N-S vulnerable