In today's deal at my club, East-West were a dentist and a manicurist we call "Tooth and Nail" because that's how they argue. Against four spades Nail led the king of diamonds, and Tooth overtook and returned a diamond. Nail then led a heart. Declarer won, started the trumps and wound up making his game.

The remarks:

Tooth: "Lead a third diamond, and I ruff, forcing South to overruff with an honor. You take the first trump and lead a fourth diamond, and I ruff. He must overruff again, and your six is high!"

Nail: "But if you had the king of hearts, we might need a heart trick before he drew trumps and ran the clubs."

HEART SHIFT

Tooth: "If I wanted a heart shift, I'd let you win the first diamond."

Nail: "I would need to lead a LOW diamond at Trick Three, forcing you to ruff. But what if your trumps were Q-3-2?"

In the actual deal, Tooth should ruff the third diamond in any case. His trumps are useless except to "uppercut" declarer. And that's the whole Tooth and nothing but.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S 9 H A Q J 9 D 8 7 3 C A K Q J 7. Your partner opens one diamond, you respond two clubs and he bids 2NT. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner has shown a balanced minimum opening bid, but your best contract is uncertain. If he has A 10 5, K 6 5, A K 5 4 2, 6 5, you may do well at a slam. Bid three hearts. If he signs off at 3NT, you'll have a close decision: Either a pass, a bid of four clubs or four diamonds (my choice), or a raise to 4NT could be a winning action.