DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

My friend the English professor complains that he spends more time serving on departmental committees than teaching.

"Tenure, Curriculum, Admissions," the prof sighs. "They're like most committees, charged with finding some innocent person to do the work. Their most frequent decision is postponing one."

The prof must have learned from his deliberations since he is careful to postpone a crucial decision, such as his first play at a grand slam. Against seven hearts, West led a trump, and the prof surveyed dummy. In time, he won with the ace and ruffed a spade.

The prof next led a trump to dummy and took the A-K of spades, pitching two diamonds. When West discarded, declarer ruffed a spade, ruffed a club, and ruffed a spade. He ruffed a club with dummy's last trump and discarded a third diamond and his last club on the good spades. Making seven.

If South carelessly wins the first trump in his hand, he is short one entry to dummy to set up and cash the spades. DAILY QUESTION You hold: S None HK J 10 9 5 3 DA 742 CK 7 5. Your partner opens one spade, you bid two hearts and he rebids two spades. What do you say?

ANSWER: You have enough trick-taking power to consider game, but partner's bidding is discouraging. To force to game, you could bid three diamonds. As it is, rebid three hearts, showing long hearts but minimum values for a two-level response. If partner passes, you may be high enough.