BRIDGE

Neither vulnerable. West deals.
NORTH
x A J 9
u A 6 5
v J 5 3
w A K 9 3
WEST EAST
x Q 10 4 x K 8 5
u K Q J 8 2 u 9 7 4 3
v A v 8 4
w Q 7 5 4 w J 10 8 2
SOUTH
x 7 6 3 2
u 10
v K Q 10 9 7 6 2
w 6
The bidding:
WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH
1u 1NT Pass 3v
Pass 3u Pass 3x
Pass 4w Pass 4v
Pass 5v Pass Pass
Pass
Opening lead: King of u
Experts will go to great lengths to try to avoid a finesse. In this duel between two of the world's great players, Lew Mathe and Pietro Forquet, Forquet went one step too far in trying to place the cards, and Mathe made him pay for it.
North-South probed delicately for their best spot. After Forquet had shown his strong diamond suit, North cue-bid the ace of hearts, giving Forquet the opportunity to show his four spades. North tried for slam by bidding four clubs, but was content with game when South could do no more than rebid four diamonds.
West led the king of hearts, taken by the ace. The threat to the contract was the possibility of two spade losers, and South intended to counter that with a strip and endplay instead of the more simple line of leading a spade to the nine, a 2-to-1 favorite over playing West for both high spade honors. Declarer continued by ruffing a heart in hand and then leading the king of diamonds, losing to West's ace. West persevered with hearts, declarer ruffing.
The ace and king of clubs were cashed and a club was ruffed in hand. A low diamond to the jack extracted the remaining trump while providing the entry to ruff the table's last club.
With the groundwork laid, Forquet now led a spade, intending to insert the nine when West followed low. Mathe countered neatly by rising with the queen! Only now did Forquet realize the error of his ways. Forced to win with the ace, he could not return to hand with a trump to lead another spade toward the J 9, since that would allow the defenders to score a spade and a heart for down one. Declarer could only smile and bow the knee.
X This 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