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Bridge 2/6
What you want partner to think
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    Joseph Priestley, an English clergyman and chemist who was one of the discoverers of oxygen, said, "The more elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate."
    That is not true at the bridge table if the defenders understand each other's signals. The more accurately they communicate, the more likely they are to defeat the contract — although occasionally, it must be admitted, they will make declarer's life easier when he accurately deciphers their messages and uses that information to his benefit.
    You are East, defending against four spades. Your partner leads the diamond four. After declarer calls for dummy's ace, how would you plan the defense?
    Over North's rebid of one no-trump, South bid what he hoped he could make. He wondered if three no-trump would be better — but it isn't here.
    Note West's lead. When you have not supported partner's suit, lead low from a low tripleton.
    You have to find four defensive tricks. You should hope for one spade, two hearts and one diamond. But how can you get West to shift to hearts when he is in with his trump winner?
    You must not play the diamond king at trick one, which will get partner to continue diamonds. Instead, play either a discouraging diamond two, or the queen, which theoretically denies the king. West, placing South with king-doubleton of diamonds, will have no reason to continue that suit. A heart switch should stand out like an elephant train in the Iditarod race.
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