A member of my club who happens to be a minister told me he rarely prays for patience; he says God might make him use it. But patience is often a virtue at the bridge table.

Against today’s slam, West led his singleton club, angling for a ruff. Declarer took dummy’s ace, led a heart to his king and returned a second club toward dummy. West promptly ruffed, delighted to get what he had aspired to. He next led a trump.

Declarer won in dummy and ruffed a club with a high trump. He drew trumps, ran the clubs to pitch a heart and two diamonds, came to the ace of hearts and won the last three tricks on a crossruff.

West’s impatience was his downfall. When he ruffed the second club, he essentially ruffed a loser and allowed declarer to draw all the trumps easily. If West discards on the second club, South can’t quite make the slam. If for example he takes dummy’s king and ruffs two clubs with high trumps, West’s ten of trumps will score, and South will still have a heart loser.

Daily question: You hold: ? Q J 7 4 ? A K 8 ? K J 4 3 ? 8 2. You open one diamond, your partner responds one heart, you bid one spade and he tries 1NT. The opponents pass. What do you say?

Answer: Although some experts might bid two hearts, I believe to pass is correct. The hand is a minimum, and a third bid would suggest extra strength. You have no reason to believe that a contract of two hearts would be better; partner might hold 103,J543,A5,QJ953. I would bid two hearts with QJ74,AK8,AJ432,2.

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