BRIDGE

Neither vulnerable. South deals.
NORTH
x Q J 10 7 3
u 8 7
v 10 7 2
w J 10 7
WEST EAST
x 5 2 x 6
u Q 9 6 5 u A 10 4 3 2
v K J 8 5 3 v Q 9 6 4
w A 5 w K 6 2
SOUTH
x A K 9 8 4
u K J
v A
w Q 9 8 4 3
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
1x Pass 3x Pass
4x Pass Pass Pass
Opening lead: Ace of w
Defense is difficult. It is even more so if you try to make partner do what you should have done yourself. Consider this deal.
North's jump raise of partner's one-spade opening bid was, by agreement, pre-emptive. Despite this, South decided that his 5-5 distribution and 17 high-card points made game a reasonable shot.
West led the ace of clubs and continued with the five to partner's king. Back came the deuce of clubs, ruffed by West to complete the defensive book. On these three tricks South followed with the eight, queen and nine. It was now up to West to decide which red suit to return.
With nothing to guide him other than the play in the club suit, West decided that East had started with five clubs and his choice of the two as the lead to the third trick was a suit preference signal for the lower of the two remaining suits -- in this case diamonds. Declarer won the diamond shift with the ace, drew trumps, then discarded dummy's hearts on the good club. Four spades bid and made!
We congratulate South on his deceptive plays in clubs, but he should never have been given the opportunity to fool West. Before returning a club for West to ruff, East should have cashed the ace of hearts. The moral: Make life easy for partner.
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