DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

Christmas is a guest who comes to visit a month before he arrives. (Nowadays, stores mount Christmas displays in October.) Some declarers think they need to get an early start on drawing trumps.

Against four spades, West led the queen of hearts — deuce, four, three — and continued with the ten and jack.

A diamond shift would have beaten four spades (and the defense probably needed a diamond trick), but South went down anyway.

He ruffed and hurriedly led the king of trumps, perhaps trying to beat the Christmas rush. West won and returned a trump.

South won and led a club to dummy’s ten. He drew trumps and finessed in clubs again but couldn’t get back to his hand for a third finesse. He took the ace, but when the king didn’t fall, he lost a diamond.

South must finesse in clubs at Trick Four, then start the trumps. If West wins and returns a trump, South wins, finesses in clubs, draws trumps and finesses in clubs. His diamond loser goes on the ace of clubs.

DAILY QUESTION You hold: S 10 9 2

H K 5 2 D A 4 2 C A Q J 10. The dealer, at your right, opens one spade. After two passes, your partner bids two hearts. The opponents pass. What do you say?

ANSWER: You might have doubled one spade, but your pass was reasonable. Partner’s “balancing” two hearts may be light; he would strain to act to stop the opponents from buying the deal cheaply. Still, if he has only 8 7 4, A Q 9 6 4 3, 7 6, 8 7, he should make game. Bid four hearts.