BRIDGE

North-South vulnerable. South deals.
NORTH
x 7 6
u A K Q J
v Q J 7
w J 8 6 2
WESTEAST
x A 10 8 4 2x J 9 3
u 8 6 5u 9 7 4 2
v K 6v 8 5 3
w Q 5 3w A 10 4
SOUTH
x K Q 5
u 10 3
v A 10 9 4 2
w K 9 7
The bidding:
SOUTHWESTNORTHEAST
1v1xDblPass
1NTPass3NTPass
PassPass
Opening lead: Four of x
Both as declarer and defender, you can play your cards in a way that creates a doubt about the distribution in the mind of your opponents. Here is an example:
The auction is typical of the modern style. After West's one-spade overcall, North's double was negative -- for takeout, not penalties. When South rebid one no trump, North's raise to game was automatic.
West led the fourth-best spade, and East inserted the jack. If South wins with the queen, West will know that he holds the king; if he wins with the king, West cannot be sure who holds the queen!
After winning the first trick with the king of spades, declarer crosses to dummy with a heart, with East following with the two. South runs the queen of diamonds. East follows with the three and West is in with the king. Now West must guess. If West shifts to clubs, East will win with the ace, and a spade return nets the defenders four tricks in the suit and one-trick set. If not, declarer is home with overtricks.
Is there any way West can get a clue? Yes, but pairs must have an agreement to use leads in the opponents' suit as a preference signal. Here's how. When declarer crosses to the table with a heart, if East holds the queen of spades, he should play an abnormally high heart. With a minor-suit entry, East should play a low card. Because declarer must have a diamond stopper for the no-trump rebid and is known to hold the queen of spades because of East's play of the deuce of hearts, West knows he must try to reach partner with a club.
XThis column is written by Tannah Hirsch and Omar Sharif. For information about Charles Goren's newsletter for bridge players, call (800) 788-1225 or write Goren Bridge Letter, P.O. Box 4410, Chicago, Ill. 60680.
& copy; 2004, Tribune Media Services