“If you want to see 90, don’t look for it on your speedometer.” — behind-the-wheel wisdom

Speeding at the bridge table costs countless contracts. Today’s West led the queen of spades against four hearts, and declarer promptly put up dummy’s king, losing. West won the spade return and led the ten of clubs. South lost a finesse with the queen and lost a second club later.

East-West might have made four spades, but that was no excuse for South to boot four hearts. He must play low from dummy on the first spade.

If West leads another spade, East wins and leads, say, a trump. South wins, takes his ace of diamonds, leads a trump to dummy and returns the queen of diamonds, pitching a club. West’;s king wins, but South later pitches another club on dummy’s jack.

If West shifts to a club at Trick Two, South takes the ace, cashes the ace of diamonds and gets to dummy with trumps to ruff two diamonds. He then leads a spade, and East is end-played when he takes the ace.

Daily question: You hold: ? K 6 ? A 10 9 6 4 ? Q J 4 ? A Q 4. North in today's deal opened 1NT with this hand. Do you agree?

Answer: Most experts would open 1NT to show the strength and approximate pattern in one bid. If you open one heart, and partner responds one spade, you will have no good second bid. Still, 3-5-2-3 or 3-5-3-2 pattern would be desirable. If you open 1NT, he may transfer to spades, stranding you at a 5-2 spade fit when you have a 5-3 heart fit.

North dealer

N-S vulnerable

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