Daily Bridge Club

Simple Saturday

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

Every player makes mistakes. Some are technical, some misjudgments, some simply aberrations. But any mistake should be a lesson on its way to being learned.

Against today’s 3NT, West led a low diamond, and South let East’s jack win and also ducked the return of the queen. South won the third diamond and let the nine of clubs ride. East took the king and led a heart, but South had nine tricks: a spade, a diamond, three hearts and four clubs.

Was a mistake made?

West can see that to set up his diamonds is futile; he has no entry to cash them. At Trick Two, he must overtake East’s queen with his king and shift to the ten of spades.

That defense makes a two-trick difference: East gets three spades plus his king of clubs. It’s true that West may place South with a high card in spades for his 2NT response, but the spade shift is still West’s best chance to beat the contract.

NO ENTRY

Youhold: KQ43 642 Q J 4 K 8 3. Your partner opens one heart, you bid one spade and he

DAILY QUESTION

raises to two spades. What do you say?

ANSWER: This case is close. If partner has a sound single raise with four-card support, you might make a game. Still, your pattern is flat, your heart holding is the worst and the value of your minor-suit honors is questionable. Pass if not vulnerable. If vulnerable, with more to gain by scoring game, you might try 2NT. North dealer N-S vulnerable