Bill Tammeus, in Toronto’s National Newspaper in 1991, wrote, “Oil prices have fallen lately. We include this news for the benefit of gas stations, which otherwise wouldn’t learn of it for six months.”

At the bridge table, bidding conventions are devised to try to facilitate reaching the best final contract. However, they all come with a price.

Look at today’s deal. If the auction had gone one no-trump – three no-trump, West would have led the spade queen, and South would have taken 12 tricks. But transfer bids are recommended, even though they give the opponents more options. They can intervene immediately; or pass first, then bid on the next round; or fourth hand can make a lead-directing double, as in today’s deal.

After East doubles two diamonds, North-South are in trouble. In three no-trump, they will lose the first five tricks. Four hearts can also be defeated – see below. In this sequence, North’s three-diamond rebid asked his partner to bid three no-trump with a diamond stopper. When South continued with four clubs (denying both a stopper and three-card heart support), North wisely passed.

West led the diamond seven. East took three tricks in the suit, and West correctly signaled with the spade queen (top of touching honors) on the third round. East, now knowing from the point count that South had the spade king and the heart king, led another diamond, which promoted West’s club jack as the setting trick.

Note that four hearts is beaten similarly, West ruffing the fourth diamond with his heart 10, which effects an uppercut.