BRIDGE

Both vulnerable. South deals.
NORTH
x 8 4
u A Q 7 6 3
v A Q J 10 9
w A
WEST EAST
x Q 10 9 x J 2
u 5 2 u K J 10 4
v 4 2 v 8 7 6 5 3
w Q J 10 6 5 3 w K 9
SOUTH
x A K 7 6 5 3
u 9 8
v K
w 8 7 4 2
The bidding:
NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST
1u Pass 1x Pass
2v Pass 3x Pass
6x Pass Pass Pass
Opening lead: Queen of w
Control of the trump suit is the key to many hands. Here is an object lesson.
Note that North did not feel obliged to jump shift at his second turn. With a possible misfit looming, a simple change of suit was all that was necessary for the moment. If South passed, it was unlikely that a game was being missed. When South showed a goodish six-card suit and invitational values by jump rebidding spades, North made the value bid of six spades.
West led the queen of clubs, taken with the ace as East unblocked the king. Since declarer could afford only one trump loser, spades had to break 3-2. It is tempting to cash the ace and king of spades and start running diamonds, but West will ruff the third diamond and cash a club for down one.
All that can be avoided by keeping a trump in dummy to control the second round of clubs. At trick two declarer must lead a trump from the table and duck it! Best is for West to win and shift to a heart. Declarer counters by rising with the ace of hearts, drawing the outstanding trumps, then overtaking the king of diamonds with the ace to run the suit and discard four losers on dummy's good diamonds.
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