One of the senior players at my club told me he thinks his skills may be in decline.

“Sometimes I think I’m suffering from a combination of amnesia and déjà vu,” he said, “as in, I think I’ve forgotten this before.”

He was declarer at today’s four hearts, and West led the ten of clubs. When East took the ace (not best), South unblocked his king. East then switched to the deuce of spades.

SPADE LOSER

“I took the ace,” declarer said, “and hurriedly led the Q-J of clubs to discard my spade loser. West ruffed and cashed his ace of trumps. His diamonds were Q-10-4-2, so I also lost a diamond and went down one. If I just remember to count winners and losers, I make the contract easily.”

My friend had an aberration. He need not rush to discard his spade loser. He can lead a trump at Trick Three. West takes the ace and cashes a spade, but South can ruff the next spade and draw the missing trump. He can take the Q-J of clubs to discard a diamond and claim the rest.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: ? Q 7 2 ? 5 ? 9 7 6 ? A 8 6 5 4 2. Your partner opens 1NT. The next player passes. What do you say?

ANSWER: To play at notrump doesn’t look right, and to sign off at a club partial would be reasonable. But if partner has an ideal hand such as J 9 4, A K 6 3, A 8 3, K Q 3, you can make a game at notrump. Partnerships have different agreements. Some play that a response of two clubs followed by a bid of three clubs invites opener to bid 3NT with a club fit and maximum hand.