"By Jove, Holmes, that ruse of yours would not have occurred to me. I'd have tried to guess the clubs and I fear I would have misguessed."

"I might have failed at guessing also, Watson," said Sherlock Holmes, "which is why I prefer to gather information and reason logically."

The two were at Holmes's Baker Street digs, reviewing a match against Professor Moriarty. When Watson raised Holmes's response of two diamonds, the great detective went straight to slam.

DISCARDS

Moriarty led a trump, and Holmes drew trumps with the A-K and next led dummy's king of spades. When East followed low, Holmes ruffed and ran the hearts to discard three clubs. He next led a club -- and put up the king when East played low. Making six.

"East would have covered the king of spades if he had the ace," Holmes explained, "but if Moriarty had both black aces, he surely would have led one. So I knew East had the ace of clubs."

"Amazing, Holmes."

"Eleemosynary ... I mean, elementary."

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S A 9 7 4 2 H 10 6 4 3 D 3 2 C Q 10. Your partner opens one club, you bid one spade and he raises to three spades. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner promises a hand worth about 17 points in support of spades with four-card support. Since he didn't open 1NT, his distribution will be unbalanced or semibalanced. You have only six high-card points, but your fifth spade will be a winner, and your queen of clubs is "working." Bid four spades.