North-South vulnerable. East deals.

North-South vulnerable. East deals.
NORTH
x K 7 2
u 9 4
v K J 7 3 2
w A J 3
WEST EAST
x Q J 3 x 9
u 8 5 2 u K Q J 10 7 3
v 9 4 v Q 10 5
w 9 8 6 5 4 w K Q 10
SOUTH
x A 10 8 6 5 4
u A 6
v A 8 6
w 7 2
The bidding:
EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH
1u 1x Pass 2u
Pass 4x Pass Pass
Pass
Opening lead: Two of u
Bridge and chess have several facets in common. Tempo is paramount among them. Timing can turn an even chess game into a massacre. At the card table, a seemingly impregnable position suddenly collapses.
North-South were playing that a jump raise of the overcaller's suit was preemptive, hence North's heart cue-bid to show a hand worth a limit raise or more. South was prepared to play in game even if partner held a minimum limit raise, and wasted no time in getting to game.
West led the deuce of hearts -- low from three cards in partner's suit that he had not supported. East followed with the jack and declarer correctly decided that this was not the time to hold up -- a club switch could have been fatal. The ace and king of trumps were cashed and, since declarer now was faced with a possible loser in each minor, the hand had reached the crossroads.
Declarer decided that his best chance was tackle to diamonds. He led a diamond to the jack, losing to the queen. East shifted to the king of clubs, taken with the table's ace. In an attempt to get rid of his club loser, declarer led a diamond to the ace and continued with another diamond. West ruffed and reverted to a club -- down one.
When South took the diamond finesse, he lost a trick, a tempo and the game. Instead, he should have cashed the ace and king of diamonds and continued with a third diamond. East wins and shifts to a club, but declarer wins in dummy and leads another diamond, discarding a club from hand as West ruffs with the master trump for the third and last trick for the defense.
& copy; 2005 Tribune Media Services
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