A button at the interesting Computer Museum in Boston says, “Usenet isn’t a right. It’s a right, a left, and a swift uppercut to the jaw.”

Yesterday, we looked at the bridge uppercut, but there are two important aspects that must be kept in mind by the defenders – both relevant in this deal.

South is in four hearts. How should the defenders card to defeat the contract? Be precise.

As in yesterday’s column, fourth hand made a natural overcall in opener’s minor. North was right to bid two hearts with four-card support, despite his minimum.

West starts with the diamond ace: eight, 10, seven. West cashes the diamond queen: nine, three, six. What now?

This deal was played in a three-table social duplicate. The first West continued with his diamond king. East, thinking that this would win the trick, discarded a low spade. South ruffed, drew trumps, conceded a spade trick, and claimed.

At the second table, West carefully led a low diamond at trick three, which his partner ruffed with the heart jack. Momentarily, this looked like a lethal uppercut, gaining a trump trick for the defenders. However, South calmly discarded his spade loser and made his contract.

The third West knew that when you try for an uppercut, you should cash all of your side-suit tricks first. Before the third diamond, West took his spade ace. Then he also carefully led a low diamond to force his partner to ruff, and the contract went down one. South lost two diamonds, one spade and one heart.