You must accept responsibility for your actions - unless you're a celebrity. But we all must account for our bridge-table actions.

Today's South heard North open 2NT and then leap to six hearts. South couldn't count 13 tricks, but he went on to seven anyway - an action only success could justify.

West led a diamond, and South won, drew trumps and tried for his 13th trick by finessing with the queen of clubs. Alas, East had the king.

COULD MAKE

South could take the ace of clubs at Trick Two, ruff a club, lead a diamond to the ace, ruff a club, cash the K-A of trumps and ruff dummy's last club. When West couldn't overruff, South could go to the king of spades, draw the last trump with the queen, and win the rest with the ace of spades and two high diamonds. (Whew!)

Should South find the dummy reversal? His actual play was reasonable even though it failed. The real lesson is to avoid speculative grand slams. South would have done better to settle for six hearts.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S A 6 5 H K 9 8 3 2 D K J 9 4 C 7. Your partner opens one club, you bid one heart, he rebids two clubs and you try two diamonds. Partner then bids two spades. What do you say?

ANSWER: If partner had a spade suit, he'd have bid one spade at his second turn. His "fourth suit" bid may show a hand with solid clubs but no spade stopper or a hand with spade values but doubt about notrump. Bid 2NT. If partner retreats to three clubs, you'll pass.