BRIDGE

Both vulnerable. North deals.
NORTH
x A 4
u 4 3
v A Q 10
w A Q 10 8 5 4
WEST EAST
x K 10 8 5 x Q 9
u K Q 10 9 7 5 u 8 6 2
v J 3 v 9 8 5 4
w 7 w J 9 6 3
SOUTH
x J 7 6 3 2
u A J
v K 7 6 2
w K 2
The bidding:
NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST
1w Pass 1x 2u
3w Pass 3NT Pass
Pass Pass
Opening lead: Queen of u
There is a tendency to go after your long suit first when you are cashing tricks. However, there is sometimes a factor that suggests you can improve your chances of winning the hand.
The auction was simple enough. North-South bid the black suits at the one level and West overcalled with two hearts. When North showed a six-card or longer suit by rebidding clubs at the three-level, South decided that three no trump would have excellent chances since his king of clubs filled in partner's suit.
West led the queen of hearts, the textbook lead to request partner to underplay the jack, if he held it, otherwise to give partner a count, East therefore followed with his lowest heart to show an odd number of cards in the suit. There was no point to holding up the ace and, since South expected to run 10 tricks, six of them in clubs, he took the ace of hearts, cashed the king of clubs and led a club to the queen. West's spade discard tolled the death knell of the contract.
Declarer overlooked an extra chance to make his contract by not realizing the power of dummy's ten of diamonds. Before starting on clubs, declarer should have cashed the ace and queen of diamonds. When the jack drops, declarer has nine tricks -- one in each major, four diamonds and three clubs -- regardless of how the club suit is divided. If the club suit breaks, declarer has three overtricks.
& copy; 2005 Tribune Media Services