Bernard Pivot, a French journalist, interviewer and host of cultural television programs, said, "You get the feeling that many of my guests feel that the French language gives them entry into a more cultivated, more intelligent world, more highly civilized too, with rules."

Several decades ago, French was the diplomatic language, but it has been replaced by English. But it still is a beautiful language.

If a bridge player is careful with his entries, he must be an intelligent player. This is a textbook example. How should South play in three no-trump after West leads a fourth-highest heart seven?

South doesn't like to respond one no-trump, but such is life occasionally at the bridge table. (Some Souths would respond three clubs, a weak jump shift, but I am not a fan of leaping into the stratosphere with no known fit. Here, it is true, it works fine because East is unlikely to find the testing heart lead against three no-trump.) North, with a good five-card suit, three aces and one king, is worth the jump-raise to three no-trump.

South has only five top tricks: two spades, two hearts (given the opening lead) and one diamond. Five more winners can come from the club suit, but assuming the defender with the club ace will duck the first round of the suit, declarer will need a hand entry -- which is where? His only winner outside clubs is in hearts. To guarantee that hand entry, South must take the first trick with dummy's heart ace. Then he drives out the club ace and will eventually come to 10 tricks: two spades, two hearts, one diamond and five clubs.

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