DAILY BRIDGE CLUB:

“I dare say, Holmes, that the winning defense would not have occurred to me.”

“Logical reasoning, Watson. Eliminate the impossible, and the truth remains.”

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson were at Holmes’ Baker Street diggings, reviewing a match against Professor Moriarty. The professor had been declarer at 3NT — the only game with a chance — after Holmes, East, had overcalled in hearts.

Dr. Watson led the king of hearts. Dummy played low, and Holmes, after a modest pause for thought, overtook with the ace and shifted to the deuce of clubs. When Watson covered declarer’s queen, the game was doomed. Declarer could take only five diamonds, one club and two hearts.

“I knew Moriarty had Q-10-2 of hearts for his 2NT bid,” the great detective explained, puffing on his pipe. “With only one entry, I could never set up and cash my hearts. Our only chance lay in clubs. And if declarer had the king, our cause was hopeless.”

DAILY QUESTION: You hold: ♠ K105 ♥ 963 ◆ A QJ64 ♣ A 6. Your partner opens one heart, you respond two diamonds and he bids three clubs. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner’s three clubs is a “high reverse” and shows extra strength. Slam is possible, but since your heart support is weakish, you should not be too aggressive. For the moment, bid three hearts to set the trump suit. If partner next bids three spades, you can cue-bid four clubs in return.