One of the most important aspects of defense is to make your signals as readable as possible to partner. If you are going to encourage or show an even number of cards in a suit, play as high as you can afford; do not skimp. A harder problem can be knowing which signal partner would like to receive: attitude, count or suit-preference.

In this deal, South allowed himself to be pushed into four diamonds. How should the defense have gone?

In the auction, North used the unusual No-trump to show at least 5-5 in the minors. When South sensibly settled for three diamonds, East competed with three spades, arguing afterward that the Law of Total Tricks says to compete to the three-level with a nine-card fit. However, the prevailing vulnerability and his balanced pattern should have suggested caution. Three spades doubled could have gone down two, minus 500. But three spades worked in theory when South went too high.

West led the club ace, hoping to cash the first four tricks. Since the club queen was on the board, East correctly gave count by playing his two — lowest from an odd number.

West, judging that his partner would have bid three spades on round one with a singleton club, now cashed the spade ace. This denied the king, because you should lead king from ace-king after trick one. East encouraged with his four, but that looked low to West. When he took the club king and shifted to a heart. South claimed.

East should not have been parsimonious; he should have signaled with his spade nine, playing as high as possible.