BRIDGE

East-West vulnerable. East deals.
NORTH
x K 9 5
u Q 8 7 6
v K Q
w A 10 5 4
WESTEAST
x 7 4 3 2x J
u A J 9 4 3u 10 2
v 7 5v A J 6 4 3 2
w K 3w Q 9 7 6
SOUTH
x A Q 10 8 6
u K 5
v 10 9 8
w J 8 2
The bidding:
EASTSOUTHWESTNORTH
2vPassPassDbl
Pass4xPassPass
Pass
Opening lead: Seven of v
Pre-emptive bidding is a two-edged sword. While forcing the opponents to start their auction at a high level, it can push them into contracts they might not reach under their own steam and draw a blueprint of how to play the hand.
This deal is from the recent Spring North American Championships. East's opening weak two-diamond bid, not to everyone's taste with a weak minor suit, was passed around to North, who doubled in the balancing seat. South made an aggressive jump to four spades, which ended the bidding.
West led the seven of diamonds to East's ace, and the diamond return was taken with the king. A low heart to the ten and king lost to the ace, and a heart came back to the queen as East completed the echo with the two. When East followed with the jack of spades on South's lead of the ace, the inferential count of the hand was complete -- East was marked with six diamonds for the opening bid, two hearts because of the echo and one spade, therefore four clubs.
The count was confirmed further when declarer ruffed a diamond with the king of spades as East discarded a diamond, and when East let go another diamond on declarer's continuation of a spade to the queen, trumps were drawn, and declarer's problem was to avoid losing two club tricks.
With clubs known to be distributed 4-2, the only chance was to find West with a doubleton honor. The eight of clubs was led, and when West followed low, dummy's ten was inserted, losing to the queen. On the club return, declarer rose with the ace, felling the king and landing the game.
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