This week’s deals have focused on defensive play. By counting, thinking logically and applying some principles, anyone can defend well.

Cover the East and South cards. Against 3NT, you lead the jack of hearts. Dummy’s king wins; East plays the deuce. At Trick Two, dummy leads a club: nine, queen, ace.

How do you defend? You can plug away at hearts, return a passive club or risk a diamond shift.

Visualize South’s hand. He has the A-Q of hearts; if East had the queen, he would have signaled differently on the first trick. South surely has the ace of spades; if his spades were, say, 10-x, he would be leading spades and would have won the first heart in his hand to preserve a sure entry to dummy.

So South has shown 12 points. The ace of diamonds would give him too many for his bidding. Lead the deuce of diamonds. When East wins, he should return a diamond (your deuce showed interest in diamonds, not hearts), and you will take three more diamonds for down one.

Daily question >> You hold: ? 9 4 ? J 10 9 6 3 ? K J 5 2 ? A 10. Your partner opens one spade, you respond 1NT and he bids two hearts. What do you say?

Answer >> Partner’s second bid improves your hand. Instead of thinking in terms of points, imagine some minimum hands for partner that will offer a reasonable play for 10 tricks. If he has A K 5 3 2, A Q 7 5, 6 3, 6 5, he will have a good chance. Bid four hearts, especially if you’re vulnerable with more to gain.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable

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