After a friend of mine finished his tax returns, he told me he was so glad he’d studied parallelograms in school: It really helped during parallelogram season. A knowledge of geometry may not help declarer, but knowing percentages will.

Today’s South stopped timidly at a small slam. (North might have had the queen of diamonds instead of the king of clubs.) West led a heart: ten, jack, ace. Declarer drew trumps, cashed the A-K of clubs to pitch a heart, took the ace of diamonds and led a diamond to his jack. West won and led a second heart for down one.

South had a bit more than a 50 percent chance but could do better. After he wins Trick One, he takes the A-K of trumps and then the K-A of diamonds. When East-West play low, South cashes the A-K of clubs to discard his jack of diamonds and ruffs a diamond. He draws the missing trump with the ten and discards two hearts on the good diamonds. Making seven.

South succeeds when diamonds break 3-2: about two-thirds of the time.

Daily question >> You hold: ? 10 5 2 ? Q 10 6 ? A 8 5 3 2 ? A K. You open one diamond. Your partner bids one heart. What do you say?

Answer >> A bid of 1NT would not be a mistake, but a raise to two hearts would appeal to me. You have good three-card support and a possible ruffing feature in clubs, and the auction may be easier if you suggest a possible trump suit immediately. If partner had responded one spade, more expert support would exist for a bid of 1NT.

North dealer

N-S vulnerable

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