Both vulnerable. South deals.

Both vulnerable. South deals.
NORTH
x -A 8 7 4
u -Q 7 5
v -10 8 6
w -J 10 4
WEST EAST
x -Q J 10 6 x -K 9 5 2
u -10 4 u -9 2
v -K J 5 3 v -Q 9 4
w -Q 9 6 w -K 8 3 2
SOUTH
x -3
u -A K J 8 6 3
v -A 7 2
w -A 7 5
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
1u Pass 2u Pass
4u Pass Pass Pass
Opening lead: Queen of x
Follow the bidding and play of this hand then decide: Was the result normal or did someone err? If so, who, and should the mistake have been averted?
South was rather aggressive in the auction. With seven tricks in hand, it was rather optimistic to think that North's single raise would provide three extra tricks. A help-suit game try in a minor would have been more descriptive.
Declarer won the opening spade lead in dummy with the ace and immediately ruffed a spade. A low diamond was led to the three, ten and queen, and East reverted to a spade. Declarer ruffed, drew trumps in two rounds ending in dummy, and ruffed the remaining spade. Declarer then exited with the ace and another diamond. Whichever defender won would have either to give declarer a ruff-sluff or else break clubs for South. By playing for split club honors, declarer was able to hold his club losers to one, and the contract was home.
Fault East. When declarer ruffed a spade at trick two, the defenders should have been alerted to the possibility of a strip and endplay. On winning the diamond at trick three, instead of helping declarer out by leading a spade, East should have returned a diamond or a trump, and the contract must fail since dummy is an entry short to complete the spade strip. Try it.
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. Send e-mail to gorenbridge@aol.com.
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