You may have heard this riddle: You have three stoves to light - gas, wood and coal - and only one match. Which do you light first? (The match, of course.)

If you said you'd light any of the three stoves, you might also go down at today's contract, which is an exercise in proper timing. South ruffs the second spade (West fails to find the threatening shift to a diamond) and leads a trump to dummy's queen. When East discards, the contract is at risk.

DIAMOND SHIFT

South continues with the ace of clubs and then the A-K of trumps. If he concedes the fourth trump, West may shift to a diamond. So South goes back to the clubs, but if he lets the jack ride, East wins and leads a diamond, forcing out the ace. West ruffs the third club, and the defenders get a trick in each suit.

Good timing requires South to reject the club finesse: He takes the king and leads a third club. When East wins and leads a diamond, South takes the ace and discards his diamond loser on the high club.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S K 6 5 2 H Q 2 D A 8 4 C A K 8 7. You open 1NT, and your partner responds two diamonds, a "transfer." You duly bid two hearts, and he jumps to four hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: As most pairs play, partner's sequence shows slam interest. If he wanted to play at game, he'd have bid four diamonds over your 1NT, transferring at the level of four. Since your values are prime, you can make one try for slam yourself. Bid five hearts or cue-bid five clubs.