North-South vulnerable. South deals.

North-South vulnerable. South deals.
NORTH
xA K
u10 6 2
vA 8 5 3
w J 9 5 4
WEST EAST
x10 5 4 3 2x9 8 7 6
uK 4 3 u5
vK J 7 4 v10 6 2
w 6 w A Q 10 8 7
SOUTH
xQ J
uA Q J 9 8 7
vQ 9
w K 3 2
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
1u Pass 2v Pass
2u Pass 4u Pass
Pass Pass
Opening lead: Six of w
East did not make life easy for declarer. But South, Haig Tchamitch of Don Mills, Ont., found a way through the minefield.
With only three-card trump support, North showed his strength by first responding two diamonds then leaping to game over South's heart rebid. That ended the auction.
West led his singleton club. Had East risen with the ace and returned a club for partner to trump, declarer would be able to get home by endplaying East. The simplest way would be to cash the top spades then play ace and another heart. West must either return a spade, giving declarer a ruff-sluff, or a diamond, letting declarer run that to the queen.
Instead, East inserted the seven, losing to the king. Declarer crossed to the king of spades and led a heart to the seven, losing to West's king. The defender exited with a spade to the ace.
A low diamond to the nine lost to the jack. West got out safely with a trump. Declarer won in hand to lead the queen of diamonds, covered by the king and taken with the ace. When declarer now led a diamond from dummy, East followed perforce with the ten, and the table's eight was high. Declarer ruffed, returned to dummy with the ten of trumps and discarded a club on the good diamond. Tchamitch lost only one trick in each suit except spades.
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
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