DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

“Bridge is a cruel game,” a club player told me. “One minute you’re the greatest thing since sliced bread, the next you’re toast.”

My friend was declarer at today’s slam.

“When I saw dummy,” he said, “I was proud of our contract. I took the ace of diamonds and cashed the K-A of trumps — and East discarded. I took the queen of trumps and started the hearts.

“West ruffed the third heart and led another diamond. I ruffed in dummy and threw my last low diamond and a club on good hearts, but at the end I had to finesse in clubs. West had the king, and I was toast.”

Could South avoid being toasted?

Six spades was indeed an admirable contract; it was unbeatable. South can ruff a diamond in dummy at Trick Two, then play a low trump from both hands.

Say East wins and leads a club. South takes the ace, ruffs another diamond and cashes the king of trumps. He gets to his hand with the queen of hearts, draws trumps with the A-Q and runs the hearts for 12 tricks. DAILY QUESTION

You hold: opens one heart, you respond one spade and he rebids two hearts. The opponents pass. What do you say?

ANSWER: Your partner has minimum opening values but promises six or more hearts. It’s hard to construct a hand for him that won’t produce a play for slam. Don’t pick daisies. Bid what you expect to make: six

A K 10 7 6 2, K 6 5, 8 7, he will have a play for 13 tricks. North dealer N-S vulnerable