Ilka Chase, an actress and novelist who died in 1978, said, “You can always spot a well-informed man – his views are the same as yours.”

You can always spot a good bridge player – he views the spot cards as carefully as you. In this deal, Sylvie Willard from France (East) was paying careful attention to the diamond spots.

Do you agree with South’s one-no-trump opening bid?

A long minor is worthwhile, adding extra strength to a hand. In this instance, it is a close decision. It is good to get a major-suit lead around to the South hand, but if West is going to start with a diamond, maybe it would be better to have North the no-trump declarer.

Against three no-trump, reached after a transfer sequence, Benedicte Cronier (West) led her fourth-highest heart. South won with her ace, cashed the spade ace, continued with the spade queen (which West ducked), and played a diamond to dummy’s 10. East won with her queen and returned a heart. West took the next trick with her spade king and led another heart. Declarer cashed dummy’s two spade winners, on which East accurately discarded two clubs.

After East won the next trick with her club ace, everyone had three cards left. In diamonds, West retained the nine, dummy the K-J-3, East the A-4-2, and South the eight. When East led her diamond two, it was covered by the eight, nine and jack. Then declarer had to lead from dummy’s king-three into Willard’s acefour.