It’s well known that partners are apt to goof. You can’t do much about your partner’s dummy play, but you can help him avoid errors on defense. The poorer partner’s defense, the more help he may need.

Against today’s four hearts from a duplicate event, West led the king and a second diamond. South ruffed, took the A-K of trumps and ruffed dummy’s last diamond. He next led a spade to dummy’s king and returned a spade: jack, five, six.

East then shifted to a club. Declarer played low, and when West had to put up his queen, declarer had the rest. Making five.

East’s club shift was terrible; East couldn’t lose by leading the queen of spades. But West could have saved his erring partner by overtaking the jack with the ace and leading a third spade.

West knows that South had six trumps and one diamond. If South has two spades and four clubs, he will ruff the third spade and dummy’s ten will be high, but one club discard won’t help South. If he has a club loser, he will still have it.

Daily question >> You hold: ? A 8 6 3 ? 6 4 ? K Q 4 2 ? Q 4 2. Your partner opens one heart, you bid one spade, he rebids two hearts and you try 2NT. Partner then bids three clubs. What do you say?

Answer >> Partner suggests six hearts, four clubs and minimum values. With 2,AQ10753,A7,AJ95, his second bid would have been three hearts or two clubs. Your decision is close. Bid three hearts; but if vulnerable, bid four hearts. Partner may hold 5,AQ9753,87,AK73.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable

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