A reader e-mailed me today's deal from a team match and asked whether she and her partner should have reached game.

"My partner jumped to three hearts, an invitational limit raise," my fan says, "but I could think of no reason to accept. I had an 11-point hand; my king of spades looked worthless."

My fan indeed took only nine tricks: She lost a trump, two spades and a diamond to East's queen.

"We lost 10 IMPs," my fan writes. "At the other table they bid four hearts and made it!"

LAST CLUB

The other South won West's diamond lead with the king and started the trumps. West won the second trump and returned a trump, and South next took the A-K of clubs, ruffed a club and led a diamond to the ace. South then led dummy's last club and threw her last diamond. West won and was end-played.

I understand my fan's reluctance to go on to game. It was a decent contract because North-South had mostly prime values. My fan's loss was mostly due to the second South's fine play.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S A Q J 7 5 H A 10 4 D 2 C 10 6 4 2. Your partner opens one heart, you respond one spade and he bids 1NT. The opponents pass. What do you say?

ANSWER: This hand is worth at least 13 points in support of hearts, hence I'd commit to game. Bid three hearts. Your partner should treat this jump-raise as forcing since a bid of two hearts would be constructive. A jump to four hearts would suggest a better hand such as A K J 7 5, A K 6, 3 2, 10 6 4.