“Are people born with a photographic memory or does it take time to develop?” — graffiti.

I don’t know, but if declarer must infer the location of a missing card, it helps if he recalls the bidding and earlier play. In today’s deal, West’s opening bid was passed around, and South balanced with an “intermediate” jump to two spades. North’s raise to three was bold.

Against four spades, West led a club: five, queen, ace. South then took the ace of trumps, went to the king of clubs, returned a trump ... and finessed with his jack.

West took his queen, and the defense also got two hearts and the ace of diamonds. Down one.

South had a lapse. If West’s hearts had been A-K-10-6-2 or K-Q-10-6-3, his opening lead would have been the king of hearts. So East, who hadn’t responded to West’s opening bid, was marked with the king of hearts and had shown the queen of clubs; hence it had developed that East couldn’t have the queen of trumps. South should have led the A-K.

Daily question: You hold: ? Q 3 ? A Q J 9 2 ? A J 7 ? 10 7 2. You open one heart, and your partner bids one spade. What do you say?

Answer: If partner had responded two clubs, to rebid two hearts would have been permissible. But after his one spade, bid 1NT to show a balanced minimum. A rebid of two hearts would promise five or more hearts; with only five, you would have a more descriptive second bid: 1NT as here, two of a minor or a raise to two spades.

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