Cy the Cynic says that a wise hen doesn't cackle until the egg is laid. Today's declarer did some cackling but had nothing to crow about later.

Against four spades (which North-South reached when North accepted his own try for game), West led a heart, and declarer took the king and led a trump: nine, queen, four.

"Looks like we'll make it," South said brightly. He led a heart to dummy's jack and returned a second trump - and the cackling stopped. East rose with the ace and led a diamond. West won and led a third heart for East to ruff, and South also lost a club and went down.

COMMUNICATION

South laid an egg: He ignored the possibility of a defensive ruff. After South's queen of trumps wins, he loses nothing by leading a diamond to break the defenders' communication.

If East wins and leads his last heart, South wins in dummy and leads a second trump. When East takes his ace, he has no way to give West the lead, and South can draw the last trump and claim 10 tricks.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S 10 3 H A K J D Q 10 8 7 4 C J 6 3. Your partner opens one spade, you respond two diamonds, he bids two hearts and you try 2NT. Partner next bids three spades. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner suggests six spades, four hearts and extra strength. If he had a minimum 6-4 hand, his second bid would have been two spades. With A K J 6 2, Q 10 8 6 5, 3, A 5, he'd have bid three or four hearts at his third turn. Bid four spades, which should succeed easily.