BRIDGE

I’ve heard an expert cynically defined as someone who always has a good excuse for going wrong. You can decide whether today’s South qualified as an expert.

Against four spades, West led the nine of clubs, and East took his ace and switched to his singleton diamond. West won and returned a diamond, and East ruffed dummy’s king and led a second club to South’s king.

Declarer then led a heart to dummy and returned a trump; when East followed with the nine, South finessed with the queen. West showed out, and East’s K-J of trumps were worth a trick. Down one.

Unlikely

“Sorry, partner,” South apologized. “A 4-0 trump break was too unlikely to cater to.” South’s excuse was beyond poor.

Once East shows a singleton diamond and West follows to the second round of clubs, East is marked with 4-4-1-4 pattern; he would have opened one heart with 3-5-1-4. South can finesse with his ten on the first spade and return to dummy by ruffing a club to pick up East’s K-J of trumps.

Daily Question

You hold: ♠ K J 9 5 ♥ K Q 9 2 ♦ 2 ♣ A 6 4 2. Your partner opens one heart. The next player passes. What do you say? Answer: If partner has a minimum with no “wasted” honors in diamonds — A 2, A J 8 5 3, 7 6 5, K Q 3 — you might make a slam. But if partner has A 2, A J 8 5 3, K J 3, J 5 3, you must stop low. To let him judge whether he has useful cards, you can jump to four diamonds, a “splinter” bid to show good heart support and diamond shortness. Discuss with your partner.