DAILY BRIDGE CLUB:

Suppose you’re in a race and overtake the runner in second place. How would you stand then? How about if you overtake the runner in last place?

If logical thinking is not your strength, defend as today’s West. (Cover the East and South cards.) Against five diamonds, you lead a heart, the unbid suit: three from dummy, jack, ace. Declarer next leads the nine of clubs: three, ace, six. He lets the jack of trumps ride to your king. What do you lead next? To try to cash a heart can’t be right. If declarer had a heart loser, he had three clubs. Otherwise, he would have tried to discard a heart on dummy’s clubs before he finessed in trumps. Your logical defense is to lead a club to let East ruff. Your ace of spades will win the setting trick. (Declarer risked his contract for an overtrick.)

If you overtake the runner in second place, you will be second. Overtaking the runner in last place is impossible; you would have been in last place yourself.

DAILY QUESTION: You hold: ♠ KQ105 ♥ 853

◆ J3 ♣ A K Q 2. Your partner opens one spade, and you respond 2NT as a conventional forcing raise. (A jump to three spades would invite game.) Partner next bids three hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner’s three hearts conventionally shows a singleton heart, so your values look good for slam. Cue-bid four clubs. Even if he signs off at four spades, you can try once more by cue-bidding five clubs.