GOREN

North-South vulnerable. South deals.
NORTH
x J 7
u Q 9 7 5 3
v 7 5 2
w A K 9
WEST EAST
x K Q 9 4 x 10 8 6 5 2
u J 2 u 10
v K 8 3 v J 10 9 4
w J 7 6 3 w Q 10 4
SOUTH
x A 3
u A K 8 6 4
v A Q 6
w 8 5 2
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
1u Pass 3u Pass
4u Pass Pass Pass
Opening lead: King of x
There is a simple formula that can be applied to winning play and defense. It is: Win each trick in its time. It can be applied to this deal.
Playing 15-17 point no-trump opening bids, the virtually all-prime South hand is a whit too strong for that action, hence the one-heart opener. North's jump raise was invitational and South had something to spare for the raise to game.
West led the king of spades, and the mirror-image hands presented a problem -- change a minor-suit card in either hand to a spade and the contract could be claimed even if the diamond finesse were to fail. It seemed as if declarer would have to find the king of diamonds with East, but South found a better line.
Declarer won the opening lead with the ace and drew trumps in two rounds. Next came the ace, king and another club, East winning with the queen to thrust the jack of diamonds through declarer's ace-queen. Declarer parried by rising with the ace and then throwing West in with the queen of spades, a card West was marked by the opening lead.
With the diamond queen protected from attack, West was forced to concede the game. A diamond would hold the defense to one trick in the suit, and a black-suit return would permit declarer to discard a diamond loser from one hand while ruffing in the other.
& copy; 2004 Tribune Media Services