BRIDGE

Neither vulnerable. South deals.
NORTH
x 9 6 4 3
u 10 5 4
v 10 9 7
w A 3 2
WEST EAST
x K Q J 10 2 x 8 7 5
u J 9 6 u 8 7 2
v K 5 3 v J 8 4 2
w 10 8 w K J 9
SOUTH
x A
u A K Q 3
v A Q 6
w Q 7 6 5 4
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
1w 1x Pass Pass
Dbl Pass 2w Pass
3u Pass 4w Pass
5w Pass Pass Pass
Opening lead: King of x
Bid aggressively, if you feel like it -- as long as you have the technical skill to back your bidding.
South had his bidding boots on. North's two-club response to the takeout double was not really encouraging and, when he could do no more over the jump to three hearts than correct to four clubs, North should have thrown in the towel.
West led the king of spades, and South was not thrilled with his prospects of landing the game. He needed to make at least two leads from the table, and there was only one entry to dummy. To make matters worse, there was also the chance that West would hold both minor-suit kings, in which case declarer's cause was helpless.
After winning the first trick with the ace of spades, it was tempting to cross to the ace of clubs and lead the ten of diamonds. That would fail in two cases. Should East insert the jack and South cover with the queen, West can duck and there would be no entry back to dummy; should East and declarer follow low, West can bring about the same position by winning with the king. As hopeless would be a club to the ace and a club toward the queen in the closed hand. East would win the king and declarer would never again be able to get to dummy.
South found a prettier line. At trick two he led the queen of diamonds from hand! West was forced to capture with the king, and the defender reverted to spades, declarer ruffing. Now declarer crossed to the ace of clubs and led the ten of diamonds from the table. As the cards lie, the defense had no counter. If East covered with the jack, declarer would win with the ace, re-enter dummy with the nine of diamonds and lead a club toward the queen. If East does not cover, declarer ducks and, when the ten wins, abandons diamonds and leads a club to the queen. Making five-odd!
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