Test your defense at the ACBL Spring Championships. Cover the West and South cards. Against 3NT, West leads the seven of clubs: king, deuce, ten. Declarer leads a diamond: four, king, eight. Next comes the deuce of hearts: four, king, ace.

What do you lead? It's a matchpoint event; overtricks may matter.

When Shane Blanchard was South, East returned a club. Blanchard took the ace and led the ten of diamonds, winning. He next cashed two more clubs and three hearts.

GOOD RESULT

At the end, Blanchard exited with a diamond, and East won and had to lead a spade at Trick 12. Dummy's king won the 13th trick, and Blanchard made four, plus 630, a good result. He and Joe Grue won the event.

Maybe East should have led a spade when he took the ace of hearts, holding South to nine tricks. After South followed with a high club at Trick One, West's seven had to be "top of nothing," not fourth best. If South had the ace of spades, the defense could never get more than East's aces.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S A 10 9 8 H 7 5 4 D 8 3 C 7 6 4 3. Your partner opens two clubs (strong, artificial), you respond two diamonds (negative) and he bids two spades. What do you say?

ANSWER: Bid four spades. This jump to game shows good trump support but denies side values -- an ace, king, void or singleton -- that might be useful for slam. If all partner needs for slam is good trumps, you have them. Otherwise, you warn him to stop low.