"Avoidance," my topic this week, involves keeping one defender or the other from gaining the lead. Declarer must often combine avoidance with another technique: the hold-up play.

West leads the queen of hearts against 3NT. Suppose South grabs his king - he may be afraid that if he doesn't, he'll never get it. South must then find the queen of clubs, and if he misguesses, the defense will cash four hearts.

South doesn't need a heart trick to make 3NT but does need to make sure the defenders don't run the hearts. So South should refuse the first heart.

NO MORE HEARTS

If West continues with the ace and a low heart, South wins, cashes the king of clubs and lets the ten ride. He doesn't care if the finesse loses to East, who has no more hearts.

Suppose West shifts to a spade at Trick Two. Now South must not let East get in: A heart return through the king might be fatal. So South takes the ace of spades and lets the jack of clubs ride through East to assure the contract.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S A 9 4 H 7 6 2 D K Q C A J 9 8 5. Your partner opens one diamond, you bid two clubs and he rebids two diamonds. What do you say?

ANSWER: You should aim to reach 3NT, the cheapest game, but you can't bid notrump yourself with such weak hearts. A raise to three diamonds would only invite game, and you must force. Risk a bid of two spades, forcing. If partner next bids 2NT, you'll raise. If he bids three clubs, you'll try three diamonds.