In this occasional feature, we ask veteran players to analyze a hand and provide tips on getting the most out of your cards. This commentary was provided by Gary Nitzberg.

We spend a good deal of time working on our bidding and conventions to try to get to the right contract, but it is also important that when we get there we play the hand properly.  We must listen to the clues that are available.  Here is a hand that has many clues.

The bidding has gone as follows:  West opens 1NT (15-17).  North doubles. East bids 2C. South bids 2S, which is then raised to 4S by North.  Note that N/S have a combined 21 points with no voids.  West leads the JC and East takes North’s QC with the ace.

You are South and are responsible for making this contract. Take a moment to analyze the hand and plan your play.  You have already lost a club trick and will lose a heart and a diamond.  That means you cannot lose any trump tricks. You have important clues in the bidding to make that possible.  

Here is the analysis.  If West opened 1NT, which is 15 to 17 points, and East shows up with the Ace of Clubs (4 points), that’s 19 points accounted for and you have the remaining 21.  Therefore, West must have both the K and J of spades.  Get to your hand and play a low trump. If west plays low, put up the 10.  If West doesn’t play low, cover his card, come back to your hand and play another spade,  intending to finesse again if necessary.

The key to successfully making the contract is to understand what the bidding has told you about where the cards must be.

For January 2025: New Year’s Resolutions

A webmaster usually stays in the background, unseen and unknown. But for this Question of the Month, it is important that you know these are Kathy Beasley’s personal duplicate bridge New Year’s Resolutions. They are not targeting anyone’s behaviors but my own. They are shared here just in case others may benefit as well.

#1. Call the director immediately if something is wrong. Yes, it is a friendly game and none of us want to be “mean.” But it takes less time away from play if the director comes immediately, sorts out the facts, and issues a decision. Also be aware that the person who calls the director is the one who talks to him.  

#2. A dummy’s role is extremely limited. Refrain from gasps, frowns, smiles and comments (“lucky you, the suit broke!”). Don’t tap on the table, reach for a card before it is called, or do anything else that can be interpreted as you directing declarer in his/her play.

#3. Do not reach for the bidding box or hover your hand over it until you have decided what bid to make. Especially don’t touch the stack of potential bids, hesitate, and then mutter “oh, never mind,” and pull out a pass card instead. This behavior illegally conveys information to partner and opponents.

#4. Know the pre-announcements, announcements and alerts you are required to make and do them at club games just as you would at tournaments. For example, your partner’s 1NT opener should always prompt you to give the range. A Jacoby Transfer bid is responded to with the target suit. Next month’s Question of the Month will cover these kinds of issues in more detail. 

#5. Try to make life easy for the people who have volunteered to run the game. That means show up in plenty of time to find your partner and get seated, play each round in a timely manner, and take your mess with you as you move from table to table. 
To read past answers, go to Questions of the Month on the navigation bar at left.