BRIDGE

North-South vulnerable. South deals.
NORTH
x Q 10 8 4 2
u A 7 4
v Q 2
w A K 7
WEST EAST
x 9 3 x 6
u 9 u Q J 10 5
v A J 9 6 v 8 7 4 3
w Q J 10 9 8 3 w 6 5 4 2
SOUTH
x A K J 7 5
u K 8 6 3 2
v K 10 5
w Void
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
1x 2w 3w 5w
5u Pass 6x Pass
Pass Pass
Opening lead: Queen of w
Try not to commit yourself to a line of play earlier than is necessary. The longer you wait, the more you might learn about the distribution.
The auction was highly competitive and the result was an aggressive slam. North's club cue-bid was a limit raise or better in spades and East took advantage of the vulnerability to raise the level of the auction. Since, with his highly distributional hand, South had no interest in defending, he showed his second suit. North knew there was no way South could bid that without a diamond control, so continued to the spade slam.
West led the queen of clubs. What would you discard from the South hand? The answer is a trump!
It is too early to commit yourself. Play low from dummy, ruff in hand and draw two rounds of trumps, ending in hand. Since West almost surely holds the ace of diamonds for his overcall, lead a low diamond from hand. If West rises with the ace and reverts to clubs, win in dummy and discard a heart. Cash the ace of clubs for another heart discard, clear the queen of diamonds and cash the ace and king of hearts and discard dummy's losing heart on the king of diamonds. Ruff a heart on the table for your 12th trick.
It does not help West to play low on the first diamond lead. Dummy's queen will win and declarer's two remaining diamonds go away on the board's high clubs. The only trick for the defense now will be a heart.
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.
& copy; 2005, Tribune Media Services