Players of all ages compete at my club, but many have seen their 55th year.

"You know you're getting older," a player told me, "when you go shopping and half the items in your cart are labeled 'For fast relief.'"

Some think the route to fast relief as declarer is to draw trumps and get it over with. Today's declarer finessed with the jack of trumps at Trick Two, and East won and returned a spade.

South won, drew trumps and led the A-K and a low diamond. He got no relief when diamonds broke 4-2. East led a third spade, and South ruffed and had to start the clubs. He lost two clubs and went down.

TOP SPADES

South can succeed if he leaves the trumps alone. He takes the top spades, leads a diamond to dummy, ruffs a spade, takes the ace of diamonds and exits with a diamond. If East leads another diamond, dummy ruffs and leads a club: eight, queen, ace.

South wins the club return and exits with a club. With his A-7-6 of trumps opposite dummy's K-J-10, he is sure of the rest.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold S 7 4 3 H K J 10 4 D K 7 3 C K 6 4. Your partner opens one club, you bid one heart and he raises to two hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner has shown heart support and minimum values. Game is possible, but your 3-4-3-3 pattern is discouraging; your hand has too many losers. Moreover, partner may have raised with only three-card support. Pass. Even if he has a sound raise such as Q 6, A Q 8 7, 8 6, A J 8 7 5, game will be against the odds.