This week’s deals have focused on blocked suits and coping with blockages. To test yourself, cover the East-West cards. Plan your play at four hearts when West leads the king and then the queen of clubs.

When I watched the deal, declarer ruffed, took dummy’s K-Q of trumps, got to his hand with the ace of diamonds and drew trumps — leaving him with none. He next took the A-K of diamonds and the queen in dummy, but had to win the next diamond in his hand. The defense won the last three tricks with the ace of spades and good clubs. Down one.

To unblock in diamonds and take the 10 winners that are there, South discards a diamond on West’s second high club. He ruffs the next club, takes dummys high trumps, comes to his ace of diamonds and draws trumps as before. But then South can cash the king of diamonds, lead his last low diamond to dummy’s queen and take the six and five to fulfill the contract.

Oddly enough, a diamond opening lead always beats four hearts.

Daily question: You hold: ? K Q 8 ? K Q ? Q 6 5 3 2 ? 10 7 4. North in today's deal opened one diamond with this hand as dealer. Do you agree with that call?

Answer: Opening bids seem to be getting lighter by the month, and some experts would open with less. Still, the long suit is ragged, and the heart honors are stuck in a short suit. I would pass. An opening bid should be based on some playing tricks, not a barren assortment of high cards.

North dealer

N-S vulnerable

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