Simple Saturday columns focus on basic technique and logical thinking.

If you have a chance to buy something for a song, watch out for the accompaniment. “Free finesses”may cost.

Against today’s four spades, West led the ace and a low club, and East won and shifted to the jack of diamonds. Declarer took the king, unblocked his king of hearts and cashed the ace of trumps; after East had preempted, South didn’t try a finesse in trumps.

West won the next trump with his king and led ... the ten of hearts, and declarer took the “free finesse”with dummy’s jack. He ruffed East’s queen, but when the hearts broke badly, South lost a diamond for down one.

When an opponent offers you an opportunity to do something, it may be wise not to. If West had the queen of hearts, he would never give South a chance to win a finesse. South should play dummy’s ace (or three) of hearts at Trick Seven. When East’s queen falls, South gets two diamond discards and makes his game.

Daily question: You hold: ? K 6 3 ? 10 9 8 7 4 ? Q 8 4 ? A 4. Your partner opens one diamond, you respond one heart, he bids one spade and you return to two diamonds. Partner then bids three diamonds. What do you say?

Answer: Despite your preference bid of two diamonds, which showed at most nine points, your partner has bid again to show game interest. Bid 3NT. If partner has A Q 4 2, 5, A K J 1 0 6 3, 7 6, you will have nine tricks, and his hand should be better than that.

North dealer

Neither side vulnerable

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