BRIDGE

Both vulnerable. North deals.
NORTH
x A 10 6 5
u K Q 4
v A K
w K 6 5 3
WEST EAST
x 9 3 x K J 2
u 10 9 5 u A 7 3
v J 10 7 3 v 6 5 4 2
w 10 9 7 2 w A 8 4
SOUTH
x Q 8 7 4
u J 8 6 2
v Q 9 8
w Q J
The bidding:
NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST
1w Pass 1x Pass
4x Pass Pass Pass
Opening lead: Ten of w
Follow the play of this hand. Did anyone commit an error? If so, who and what?
With a flat hand and no four-card major, East decided against a takeout double. South's decision to respond one spade rather than one heart is strange -- it is an almost sure way to miss a possible 4-4 heart fit. North's bidding cannot be faulted.
West led the ten of clubs to East's ace and a club was returned, declarer winning with the queen. Needing to limit his trump losers to one, declarer led the four of spades to the three, ace and two. A trump was returned and whether East played the jack or the king, the problem in spades was solved. Declarer still had to concede a heart trick -- making four-odd.
It might look as if everything was normal, but there was a very subtle error. Suppose that, when South led a trump at trick three, West had inserted the nine rather than the three. It was quite possible that declarer would play West for a doubleton honor and insert the table's ten, losing to East's honor and hoping to drop West's honor on the next round.
Congratulations to those who spotted the slip!
& copy; 2004 Tribune Media Services