Bridge

There's a difference between knowledge and wisdom: Knowledge is seeing a one-way street; wisdom is still looking both ways before you cross.

In a team match, both Souths played four spades, and West led a trump (best). At the first table, South saw that he could discard a diamond loser on dummy's king of clubs. He unblocked his ace of clubs, led a trump to dummy, took his discard and tried a heart to his queen.

Alas, South was hit by a truck when West took the king and led his last trump: South had to lose two more hearts and one diamond. Down one.

NO URGENCY

The second declarer was wiser. He won the first trump in dummy and finessed in hearts. West won but, as South expected, saw no urgency for a diamond shift and led another trump.

South won, cashed the ace of clubs and the ace of hearts, ruffed a heart and threw a diamond on the king of clubs. He ruffed a club, drew trumps, lost a heart, ruffed the next club and cashed his fifth heart to fulfill the contract.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S 7 6 5 H K J 10 8 D K 5 C Q 8 6 4. Your partner opens one spade, you raise to two spades and he next bids three diamonds. What do you say?

ANSWER: Your partner is trying for game and asks you to consider not only your overall strength but your holding in his second suit. Since you have maximum values, you could jump to four spades. A more flexible action is three hearts. If partner has A 10 8 4 3, 9 4, A Q J 4, A 10, he might do well at 3NT.

South dealer

Both sides vulnerable

NORTH