BRIDGE

Both vulnerable. North deals.
NORTH
x A 7 2
u K 9 3
v A 9 8 2
w A 9 4
WEST EAST
x Q 10 9 6 x J 3
u Q J 4 u 10 5
v 10 5 3 v Q J 7 4
w K Q 10 w J 7 5 3 2
SOUTH
x K 8 5 4
u A 8 7 6 2
v K 6
w 8 6
The bidding:
NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST
1NT Pass 2w Pass
2v Pass 3u Pass
4u Pass Pass Pass
Opening lead: King of w
Bridge and medicine have something in common. If you diagnose the condition correctly, the remedy is easier to find.
The auction is simple. South tried Stayman in an effort to find a four-card major in partner's hand. When partner denied one, South made a forcing jump in his five-card suit and, with three-card support and a minimum, North raised to game.
West led the king of clubs. Since there was a sure loser in each suit except diamonds, the problem was to avoid losing a second spade. If spades were 3-3, the problem would solve itself. If not, declarer had to find a way to take care of the fourth spade. The only way was to ruff in dummy.
Since there was no point to holding up at trick one, declarer won with the ace, cashed the ace and king of hearts and played ace, king and another spade. West won, drew dummy's last trump and cashed his high spade for down one. Playing spades before touching trumps would be no better since, when West wins the third spade and continues with his remaining spade, declarer would lose a second trump trick, whether or not he ruffs high.
All South needed to do was keep control of the major suits. It was fine to cash the king of hearts, but thereafter South should have played a spade and ducked in hand. The defense is helpless. As soon as declarer gains the lead, he draws one more round of trumps then plays off the ace-king of spades. Whether or not someone can ruff the third spade with the master trump, there is still a trump to take care of the fourth spade, and the defense is held to three tricks.
& copy; 2005 Tribune Media Services