Signaling is the main method by which defenders communicate with each other during the play. Properly transmitted, the messages conveyed help the defenders decide when to stop, start or continue playing a suit.

Signals are not given automatically, however. Instead, a defender should first assess all the pertinent aspects of a deal before deciding which approach offers the best chance to defeat the contract.

Consider this case, for example. West led the club king and, after East played the encouraging eight, continued with the ace and another club. East ruffed, but that was the end of the line for the defense. Declarer won East’s heart return, drew trump and discarded his diamond loser on the club queen to finish with 10 tricks.

East’s defense left something to be desired. He should not have signaled for a club continuation by playing the eight at trick one, even though it is normal to do that to indicate a doubleton. He should have realized that it was more important to suggest a diamond shift than to get a club ruff since he already had a guaranteed trump trick that did not require a club ruff to ensure it.

East therefore should have played the club three at trick one to discourage partner from continuing the suit. Forced to direct his attention elsewhere, West presumably would have found the killing diamond shift, since that was the only suit that offered any real hope of defeating the contract.

South could not have prevailed against this defense. Whether he elected to finesse the queen of diamonds or not, the defenders sooner or later would have scored four tricks — two clubs, a diamond and a trump — before declarer could come to 10.

Tomorrow: Bidding quiz.