NOW WHY DID HE DO THAT ?....................( By Johnny Supremo ) Addressing this question about a defender's play may provide you with an answer to a crucial question as to the location of a particular card. The following hand I played the other day serves up an excellent illustration of what I mean. I had arrived at 4H after my partner opened the bidding with a pre-emptive 3D on : Q7....953...KJ10963....104. I was naturally a little disappointed, because hand was :..... 43...AQJ1076....AQ....KJ5. At first glance it looked as though I had 5 possible losers ( 2S, 2C, 1H ). However, My LHO ( West) made an opening lead of the queen of clubs, taken by his partner with the Ace. Good news so far. This was followed by the Ace of spades, and a low spade across to my LHO's King. But at trick 4 West played the 2 of clubs !!.....allowing me to take the trick in dummy with the 10. Now why didn't he smother the 10 with his jack he was known to have ? Why was he intent on giving me an entry to dummy ? Well, there is only one conclusion that could be made after being handed such an unsolicited gift: West was wanting me to take the heart finesse on, because he had the king. So logic dictated that taking the finesse was a no-win option. Therefore, I had everything to gain, and nothing to lose, by rising with the Ace of hearts. Game made, but this was all down to some pathetic and inept play by the defence. Because, if left to my own devices I might well have taken the finesse.