A LITTLE CARE PAYS A BIG PRIZE

Joyce Brothers, a psychologist and newspaper columnist, was the only woman to win the top prize in " The $ 64,000 Question." She said, " A philosopher is a person who doesn't care which side his bread is buttered on; he knows he eats both sides anyway."

A bridge player, though, should treat every deal with care. In this one, after West leads the heart queen against four spades, how would a careless declarer play, and what would a careful declarer do differently?

North's response was the Jacoby Forcing Raise, promising four or more spades and the values for at least game. South rebid four spades because he had a minimum opening bid with no side- suit singleton or void. North had no reason to bid higher.

The opening lead marks East with the heart ace. So declarer should play low from the board at tricks one and two. However, it is to no avail. The defenders take three heart tricks, then East shifts to the diamond king.

South wins the trick with dummy's ace and draws trumps, noting the unfriendly 4- 0 break. Now he must take four club tricks so that he can discard his diamond loser.

The careless declarer cashes his club king and plays low to dummy's ace, going down with this line of play.

The more thoughtful declarer plays low to dummy's ace, then returns a club to his king. When he sees East discard, South knows to finesse dummy's 10 on the third round.

Then perhaps East and West will discuss how they might have entered the auc- tion, because five diamonds, if North and South play trumps quickly, is down only one, making it an excellent sacrifice.