ACES ON BRIDGE

Should North use Stayman here? His square shape suggests four hearts will rarely be much better than three no-trump, while the direct route to game gives less information away to the defenders.

In any event, when South arrives at three no-trump, West leads the club queen, giving South an eighth trick at once. An even diamond split or favorable layout in hearts will provide another, but South must beware of losing the lead, since the defenders may be able to cash four club tricks.

Instead, hoping West has not led from a six-card suit, declarer returns a club at trick two. Even if West can cash four tricks, this play is unlikely to lose and lets declarer test the red suits later on.

As West plays his clubs, dummy lets go a heart and a spade, declarer two hearts, and

East two spades and a heart. West exits with a heart, and declarer guesses to take the ace rather than risking everything on the double finesse.

When declarer cashes three diamond tricks and West shows out, things might look bleak. But declarer returns to dummy with the spade king and takes the heart king, reducing everyone to two cards. With the sole guard in both spades and diamonds, East must pitch before declarer and let him score his ninth trick with either the diamond seven or spade nine.

Note: If declarer tests diamonds before exiting with a club, the defense can prevail — but only if West does not cash all his clubs to squeeze his partner.

ANSWER: Half the world believes in bidding suits up the line here. The rest — including me — believe that their partner either has no major (if they have less than invitational values) or that they will be good enough to bid their major over a rebid of one no-trump. This style is called Walsh, and the implication is that if you bid one heart now, you guarantee real clubs. So, I would bid one no-trump now.