It's unwise to go skinny-dipping in a pond inhabited by snapping turtles, but some people like to live dangerously.

In today's deal, South took East's ten of clubs with the ace, led a trump to dummy's king and returned a trump to finesse with the jack. West produced the queen and led a club to East's queen, and East shifted to the queen of spades.

Declarer took dummy's ace but was about to encounter a snapping turtle. He let the queen of diamonds ride, but West won, and the defense took two spades. East then led the 13th spade, promoting West's ten of trumps for the third undertrick.

GAINING TIME

Let's be tactful and call South's play unwise. After South wins the first trick, he can cash the A-K of trumps, declining a finesse but gaining time. He next leads the ace and a low diamond.

West wins and leads another club, and East wins and shifts to spades. South takes the ace and discards his losing spades on the good diamonds; East-West get a club, a diamond and a trump.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S 8 6 5 H A J 8 7 5 2 D A 6 C A 5. Your partner opens one diamond, you respond one heart and he bids two clubs. What do you say?

ANSWER: Bid three hearts if, in your partnership style, responder's second-round jump in his own suit is forcing. But most pairs treat a jump to three hearts as invitational. To force, they would have to fall back on a "fourth-suit" bid of two spades, showing only a desire to hear the opening bidder act again.