BRIDGE

North-South vulnerable. West deals.
NORTH
x Void
u Q 9 5 3
v A J 9 6 2
w A 10 8 7
WEST EAST
x K Q 8 4 3 x 9 6 5 2
u 7 4 u A K 8 2
v Q 10 8 3 v K 7 5 4
w 9 6 w 4
SOUTH
x A J 10 7
u J 10 6
v Void
w K Q J 5 3 2
The bidding:
WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH
Pass Pass 1u 2w
Dbl 5w Pass Pass
Pass
Opening lead: King of x
As a rule, unless you are sure your choice of lead is clear cut, lead the suit partner has bid. There is nothing worse than "using your judgment" and being wrong. You will hear from partner for a long, long time.
East took advantage of the vulnerability and position to make a lead-directing opening bid. After South's overcall, West's double was negative, for takeout in the unbid suits. North bounced the auction into five clubs and bought the hand.
West elected to lead the king of spades, certainly the right action had there been no bidding, but ... declarer ruffed in dummy, came to hand by trumping a diamond and ran the ten of spades, discarding a heart when West did not cover. The jack of spades was trumped on the table Another diamond ruff in the closed hand was followed by a trump to dummy and a third diamond ruff.
South returned to the board with a trump, in the process drawing the last outstanding club. When both defenders followed to the ace of diamonds, declarer was able to discard three hearts on the ace of diamonds, the ace of spades and the long diamond, making an overtrick.
We would like to tell you exactly what East said when he saw that a heart lead would have defeated the contract since West would have ruffed the third round of the suit for the setting trick. Unfortunately, most of it is unprintable!
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