“I make plenty of mistakes,” a club player told me sourly. “I’ll be the second to admit it.”

“I take it your partner is apt to point them out,” I said.

My complainant was today’s East.

“After my partner doubled South’s one heart and North bid two hearts,” he said, “I jumped to four spades. South went to five hearts, and partner doubled that.”

West led the king of spades, and South threw a diamond on dummy’s ace and led a trump. West took the ace and led another spade (not best), and South ruffed and drew West’s last trump.

“I discarded a club,” East said. “South then cashed three clubs and led a diamond. When I won, I had to lead a spade. He threw his last diamond, ruffed in dummy and claimed. My partner said if I was going to misdefend, I should’ve bid five spades.”

Everyone makes mistakes, and at-the-table criticism is usually pointless. East was well aware (after the fact) that he should have pitched his king of diamonds on the second trump. West didn’t have to point it out.

Daily question>> You hold: ? K Q 6 ? A 5 ? A J 9 6 ? J 9 4 2. Your partner opens one heart, and the next player passes. What do you say?

Answer>> A response of 3NT, showing balanced pattern with 15 to 17 points, would be reasonably descriptive, hence not a bad mistake, but that bid is better avoided with two four-card suits, either of which might serve as trumps. Moreover, 3NT is a space-consuming action that may impede slam investigation. Bid two diamonds or two clubs.

South dealer

Both sides vulnerable

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