“Didn’t you just do a series on avoidance plays?” a club player asked me, “about keeping a ‘dangerous’ opponent out of the lead?”

I nodded.

“In my case,” he sighed, “my most dangerous opponent is often my partner.”

As today’s West, my friend cashed three high hearts against four spades.

“On the third heart,”West told me, ‘my partner threw a low club, so I shifted to the nine of diamonds. Declarer won with the king and led the queen of trumps to dummy’s ace. He knew I didn’t have the king since I had shown the A-K-Q of hearts and hadn’t opened the bidding. He made his game when the king fell. I asked my partner whose side he was on.”

East can see that if West leads another heart at Trick Four, East’s king of trumps will score for the setting trick. But West can’t know this, so East must help him.

On the third heart, East must pitch his queen of diamonds, denying both the king of diamonds and ace of clubs. West should see what is expected of him.

Daily question: You hold: ? 6 5 2 ? A K Q 10 4 ? 9 5 ? 10 9 7. You are the dealer; the opponents are vulnerable. West in today’s deal passed with this hand. Do you agree with that call?

Answer: Many players, intent on preemption, would open two hearts, weak. Some experts open weak two-bids with weaker five-card suits. I would pass. A weak two-bid promises a six-card suit. Lying to your partner may induce him to misjudge and erode partnership confidence.

West dealer

N-S vulnerable

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