Both vulnerable. South deals.

Both vulnerable. South deals.
NORTH
x 10 7 5
u 10 9 3
v K Q J
w A J 8 2
WEST EAST
x Q 6 x J 8
u A K Q J 5 4 2 u 8
v Void v 9 8 7 5 4 3 2
w 7 5 4 3 w K 9 6
SOUTH
x A K 9 4 3 2
u 7 6
v A 10 6
w Q 10
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
1x 3u 4x Pass
Pass Pass
Opening lead: Queen of u
Sometimes, if you are lucky, you get the opportunity to atone for an error. East made the most of his second chance on this deal.
The bidding is simple enough. After West's pre-emptive jump overcall of South's one-spade opening bid, North was afraid that South would take a three-spade response as merely competitive, so he stretched slightly to bid the game in spades.
West, anxious to get a diamond ruff, led the queen of hearts in the hope that partner could ruff as an entry to return a diamond. When East followed suit, declarer continued with the king hoping that, since the normal lead from A K Q J is the king, the departure from standard leads would alert East to the fact that he should ruff. But it was late in the session and a tired East carelessly discarded a diamond.
West continued with a low heart, and East suddenly realized what was going on and trumped dummy's ten of hearts with the jack of spades! Declarer overruffed with the king and, while that prevented West from getting a diamond ruff, it promoted the queen of trumps to a trick. The losing club finesse was the setting trick.
Actually, West was also a bit muddled. A surer way to get the message across would have been to lead the ace of hearts and continue with the queen. Expecting South to have the king, East would have ruffed and, since the return of a high heart suggests the lead of the higher-ranking of the two remaining plain suits, would have returned a diamond for partner to ruff.
& copy; 2005 Tribune Media Services
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