If you can't dance, it's silly to blame the orchestra or the dance floor. If your dummy play is weak, don't blame anyone; just resolve to study up and learn the techniques.

West led a diamond against South's game, and East took the ace (not best) and returned the jack. South won, drew trumps with the A-K, and led the queen of spades, winning the finesse.

South next led a spade to his ace and returned a club, playing low from dummy. He hoped that East, whose opening bid marked him with the missing high cards, had the singleton or doubleton ace. But the defense took three clubs for down one.

LAST DIAMOND

Simple technique would make the contract. After South takes the ace of spades, he can ruff his last diamond in dummy and lead the jack of spades. When East's king covers, South discards a club. East must then lead a club, letting dummy's king score, or lead a diamond or a spade, conceding a ruff-sluff.

Loser-on-loser plays are part of any competent declarer's arsenal. Study them.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S K 9 7 3 H 8 D A J 10 7 6 C A Q 9. You open one diamond, your partner responds one heart, you bid one spade and he rebids two hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: Curb any impulse to try 2NT. Your partner has six or more hearts but at most nine high-card points. At notrump, you couldn't establish his suit and return to cash the winners. Your best shot at a plus score is to play at a heart partial where his hand will take some tricks. Pass.