Command performance

Another sign standing guard by a church in my town: “The first Ten Commandments are the hardest.”

If you get through life without fracturing any part of the Decalogue, you’ve done well. But many bridge “commandments” are made to be broken. Against today’s four spades, West led the queen of clubs. Declarer ruffed the third club and led the jack of hearts.

West knew that “cover an honor” was a commandment — or at least advisable — so he played the king. South took dummy’s ace, drew trumps, lost a heart to West’s queen and had the rest. Making four.

LOWER CARDS

A defender “covers an honor” to promote lower cards in his hand or his partner’s hand. Here, West would only help South set up his second suit by covering. So West must duck the jack of hearts.

South draws trumps and leads another heart, but West plays low again. South can take the ace next, but if he cashes the ace of diamonds and ruffs a diamond, he has no more trumps. He loses the rest and goes down.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: 8 6 K Q 6 2 10 6 5 3 Q J 10. Your partner opens one club, and the next player bids one spade. You double (negative), and your partner jumps to three hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: If partner had bid two hearts, he would have “raised” the suit your negative double implied; he would suggest minimum opening values. His jump to three hearts shows more than that: game interest. He mayholdA53,AJ85,A,K9654. Bid four hearts. North dealer Both sides vulnerable