“We have only one person to blame, and that’s each other.” — a National Hockey League goalie after an injurious brawl with an opposing player.

After today’s South opened 1NT, North transferred to hearts and bid clubs next. South liked his heart holding and side aces and bid game. West’s lead of the deuce of clubs was an obvious singleton, so East took the king and ace and led a third club.

West ruffed and shifted to a spade, but declarer took the ace, drew trumps, cashed dummy’s last two clubs for spade discards and claimed, making four.

It’s not unusual for defenders to blame each other after declarer makes a beatable contract, but East gets 100 percent of the blame here. After he wins the first club with the king, he should return the nine — a suit-preference play to suggest strength in spades, the high-ranking suit.

When West ruffs and shifts to a spade, he sets up a spade trick for the defense that East can cash when he takes his second high club.

Daily question >> You hold:? Q 7 ? K J 10 8 6 ? 7 ? Q 10 8 7 5. Your partner opens 1NT, and you respond two diamonds, a transfer. Your partner duly bids two hearts. What do you say?

Answer >> In today’s deal, North bid three clubs. Most pairs treat a new-suit bid after a transfer as forcing, and apparently North so treated his three clubs. A case exists for three clubs to be invitational. That lets the 1NT bidder play at three clubs and evaluate his hand for game.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable

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