BRIDGE

East-West vulnerable. East deals.
NORTH
x J 6 5 4
u A Q 9 7
v A 9 4 3
w A
WEST EAST
x 10 9 x K 8 3
u J 8 5 u K 10 6 2
v 7 5 v 10 8 6
w K 10 9 8 4 3 w J 6 5
SOUTH
x A Q 7 2
u 4 3
v K Q J 2
w Q 7 2
The bidding:
EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH
Pass 1v Pass 1u
Pass 1x Pass 4w
Pass 4x Pass 6x
Pass Pass Pass
Opening lead: Ten of w
In team competition, there is a time when aggression pays off. If you are trailing by a fair margin, it is time to gamble on some against-the-odds contract in an effort to manufacture a swing in your favor. Consider this deal; from a European University Championship match.
While the North-South holding was strengthened by the double fit, with only 29 high-card points and a ratty trump suit, slam was distinctly against the odds. Still, the state of the match dictated a risky venture, and North pressed on to the spade slam.
West led the ten of clubs, and declarer saw that he needed a lot of luck to get home. The first problem was in the trump suit so, after winning the opening lead with dummy's ace, declarer immediately led a trump to the queen. When that held, declarer ruffed a club in dummy and returned to hand with the ace of trumps. A second hurdle was cleared when both defenders followed.
Since there was a trump loser, declarer had to avoid losing a heart trick. It seemed that the best shot was a heart finesse, but South was in no hurry to commit to that. Another club was ruffed on the table and then the diamonds were started by playing the ace. On the third diamond trick, West discarded a club and on the fourth East parted with a heart.
The discards were enlightening. Had West held the remaining trump, he could have ruffed the diamond and exited with a heart or club, forcing declarer into the finesse. But had East held a fourth club and the long trump, he could have ruffed and exited with a club, forcing declarer to take a losing heart finesse.
East's play was the most interesting. Declarer decided to play East for just three clubs and the king of hearts, so he exited with a trump, forcing East to win and return a heart away from the king into dummy's major tenace. Six spades bid and made for a large pickup, and North-South were back in the match.
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