Commercial pilots note problems with a plane's performance that the airline's mechanics are supposed to address. That the "problems" aren't always taken seriously is evident from this entry in a maintenance log:

Complaint: "Number 3 engine was missing."

Action taken: "Number 3 engine found on right wing after brief search."

Today's declarer had to find the queen of diamonds, and it took more than a brief search. East won the first club with the jack and led a trump. West won and led the queen of clubs. South ruffed the third club, drew trumps, and marked time by taking the K-A of spades and ruffing a spade.

BROKEN SUIT

South then knew West had held four clubs (from his lead of the deuce), two hearts and J-9-2 in spades. But West probably had no more spades: With J-10-9-2 or Q-J-9-2, he'd have led a spade from his sequence, not a club from a broken suit.

So South gave West 3-2-4-4 distribution. South played the four-to-two odds in diamonds and led to dummy's jack.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S K 6 H K Q J 8 5 D A 10 4 2 C 6 3. Your partner opens one spade, you bid two hearts, he rebids two spades and you try three diamonds. Partner next bids three hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: Your partner probably has only a doubleton heart. Since your response promised a five-card or longer suit, he'd have raised directly on many hands containing three-card support. Bid three spades, continuing to look for your best trump suit.