[Photo provided to China Daily]

Kenneth Tynan, an English theater critic who died in 1980, said, "A critic is a man who knows the way but can't drive the car."

In yesterday's deal, East failed to cover dummy's spade jack with his queen because he believed it would save declarer a guess in the suit. However, he should have realized that declarer knew the layout and not played low. This deal is a tougher example of the same theme.

South was in four spades. What happened after West led a diamond?

East took dummy's diamond jack with his queen and cashed the club king. (Remember, lead king from ace-king and king-queen after trick one.) When West discouraged with his club three, East cashed the club ace and tried to take the setting trick with the diamond ace, but South ruffed.

Now declarer had to play the trump suit without loss－h(huán)ow, though?

It looked like he should hope for a doubleton queen somewhere, or for West to have the singleton queen. But who had the queen?

South was sure that it was West. Why?

East had produced 13 high-card points and seemed to have a balanced hand. If he had the spade queen also, he would have opened one no-trump.

Then, somehow sensing the position, South led his spade jack. West knew the situation, so he covered with his queen. Declarer won with dummy's king and had to decide if East had started with 10-doubleton (cash the ace) or two low (return to hand in a minor and run the spade nine).

As you can guess, South guessed correctly.