North-South vulnerable. East deals.

North-South vulnerable. East deals.
NORTH
J 8 2
A 9 5
Q 10 9 6 5 3
10
WEST EAST
K 9 5 3 7
K 6 4 3 Q 10 7
4 A 8 7 2
J 8 7 4 K Q 5 3 2
SOUTH
A Q 10 6 4
J 8 2
K J
A 9 6
The bidding:
EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH
1 1 Dbl 2
Pass 3 Pass 4
Pass Pass Pass
Opening lead: Four of
Partner's signal is a suggestion, not a demand. It does not obviate your using, in the words of Hercule Poirot, the famous Belgian detective, "those little gray cells."
West's double of South's overcall was negative, for takeout, not penalties. East had nothing to say after North's spade raise, South made a game try in hearts and North, despite having only three-card support, elected to raise to game.
West led the four of diamonds to partner's ace and East returned the deuce, suggesting club strength. West ruffed and let's suppose that he dutifully returns a club. Declarer wins in hand, cashes the ace of spades and continues with a low spade. If West follows low, declarer wins in dummy and simply leads winning diamonds until West ruffs. There is still a trump in dummy to take care of a club lead. If, instead, West wins with the king and shifts to a heart, declarer takes the ace, draws the remaining trump with the jack and the diamonds provide all the discards declarer needs.
West should realize there is no hurry to attack clubs -- if East has the ace, it will always be an entry. A heart trick might be needed to beat the hand, so West should shift to a low heart, hoping partner holds the queen. Now the defenders must score two spade tricks, a diamond and a heart for a one-trick set.
This 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; 2006 Tribune Media Services
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