A club player brought me today’s deal.

“My partner was South,” he said. “Answer a question: Which was worse, his bidding or his play?”

At the unlikely six spades, South took the ace of clubs, ruffed a club in dummy and cashed the three top trumps. When East discarded, South started the diamonds, but West ruffed the third diamond and took his queen of clubs.

“My partner blamed it all on me,” North said, “for raising his one spade with three-card support. He said if I rebid two diamonds, we might get to six diamonds. Only a trump lead beats seven diamonds.”

North’s raise to two spades was reasonable. South’s one spade was wrong; he should respond two clubs and bid spades next.

North-South might still get to six spades and that slam is cold. South has various winning plays, but his safest line is to play a low trump from both hands at Trick Two. He can arrange to ruff one club low in dummy, draw all the trumps and run the diamonds without interruption.

Daily question>> You hold: ? A Q 7 4? A 8 ? Q 9 ? A J 7 6 2. You open one club, your partner responds one heart, you bid one spade and he raises to three spades. What do you say?

Answer>> To try for slam is tempting you might cue-bid four hearts to show interest but partner’s raise to three spades is only invitational to game. He has about 11 points. If he has K1092,KJ54,A32,83 or J1092,KQ64,K72,Q4, 12 tricks will be against the odds. Just bid four spades.

South dealer

Both sides vulnerable

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