DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

“It amuses me,” my friend the English professor told me, “how people wrongly attribute familiar quotations. For example, ‘I escaped by the skin of my teeth.’” “Is that Shakespeare?” “The Book of Job,” the prof said. “The Bard and the Bible get confused.”

At four spades, South won the trump lead, took the A-K of hearts, ruffed a heart and led a diamond to his king. When West won and led another trump, South was in trouble. But he drew trumps, took the queen of diamonds and exited with his last heart. East was end-played, and South lost only a club to the ace.

South escaped by the skin of his teeth. (When West was in, he could have prevailed with a club shift.) South should lead the king of diamonds at Trick Two.

If West returns a second trump, South takes the top hearts and the queen of diamonds, ruffs a heart and throws a heart on the jack of diamonds. He can ruff dummy’s last diamond, draw trumps and lead a club to the king to try for an overtrick. DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S 8 7 6 H 8 5 2 D A 10 7 4 C Q 10 7. Your partner opens one heart, and the next player overcalls one spade.

Answer: Your hand is unimpressive, but you can’t afford to suppress your three-card heart support. Bid two hearts. If you pass, the opponents may bid more spades, and you may never get to show your values. Switch your spades and clubs, making your queen a card more valuable for defense, and a case could be made for passing.