Simple Saturday columns focus on basic technique and logical thinking. Be wary of half-truths; you might get the wrong half. Beginning players are taught many “rules” of play that should only serve as guidelines.

At today’s four spades, South ruffed West’s jack of diamonds and led a trump: nine, queen, ace. East shifted to a heart, and South took dummy’s queen and led a second trump: eight, king.

When West discarded, South was in trouble: He led a club to dummy’s king, but East won and cashed his jack of trumps. Then South lost a second club and went down one.

“The odds favored a 2-2 trump break,” South said.

He was right; the situation is similar to the one about “eight ever, nine never” when a queen is missing. Still, South should finesse with the ten on the second trump. If West took the jack, South would still be safe. He could ruff the diamond return, cash his high hearts to discard dummy’s low clubs, and ruff a club with dummy’s last trump.

Daily question >> You hold: ? A J 8 ? 8 6 2 ? A 9 8 3 2 ? A 10. You open one diamond, and your partner bids one spade. The opponents pass. What do you say?

Answer >> A rebid of two diamonds would promise a longer suit. A bid of 1NT would be beyond reproach and would be the choice of many players. Since the hand has good three-card spade support, a possible ruffing feature and primary values, I would prefer a raise to two spades, suggesting a possible trump suit.

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