Simple Saturday columns focus on basic technique and logical thinking.

On the keyboard of life, always keep one finger on the ESC key. Give yourself every chance for the contract.

At today’s four spades, South won the first club with dummy’s ace and let the nine of trumps ride. When West took the king and led another club, there was no escape for declarer. He drew trumps but had to lose to West’s winning club and king of diamonds, plus a heart to East’s ace.

“My finesses always lose,” South complained.

South has four possible losers, but if West has the king of diamonds, South can set up a second diamond winner to pitch a club from dummy. South must win the first club in his hand and lead a low diamond.

West wins and leads another club, but South wins, unblocks the queen of diamonds, leads a trump to his ace and discards dummy’s last club on the ace of diamonds. If East had the king of diamonds, South would still get home if the trump finesse worked.

Daily question >> You hold: ? A Q 10 6 4 ? K Q ? A 7 3 ? K 5 3. You open one spade, and your partner raises to two spades. South in today’s deal then bid four spades with this hand. Do you agree with his call?

Answer >> Whether South should have bid game or settled for an invitation is debatable, but since he had a balanced hand with honors dispersed, he certainly could have suggested the nine-trick game. If South bids 2NT or 3NT over two spades, North can choose where to play.

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