Neither vulnerable. East deals.

Neither vulnerable. East deals.
NORTH
5
K 9 7
A K J 8 7 4
K J 8
WEST EAST
K 10 7 4 2 A J 8 6 3
10 6 5 A Q 8
6 5 2
6 4 2 Q 10 7 5
SOUTH
Q 9
J 4 3 2
Q 10 9 3
A 9 3
The bidding:
EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH
1S Pass 3 Dbl
Pass 4Pass Pass
Dbl Pass Pass Pass
Opening lead: King of
When it is obvious that declarer has few losers outside the trump suit, best defense is frequently to force declarer to ruff at every opportunity, thereby weakening his trump holding. Consider this deal.
West's jump raise of East's opening bid of one spade was, obviously, pre-emptive. North was too strong to pass and, as a result of his takeout double North-South reached a tenuous four-heart game in which their only real weakness was trumps.
West led the king of spades. Had he continued spades, declarer would have to ruff in dummy. If at each opportunity they gain the lead, the defenders simply continued returning a spade, declarer would soon have lost control of the hand.
However, West cost his side a vital tempo by switching to a club at trick two. Declarer captured East's ten with the ace and immediately led a trump to dummy's nine and East's queen. East reverted to a spade, but it proved to be too late.
South ruffed on the table, and led the king of hearts and there was now no defense. East took the ace (ducking would not have helped -- declarer comes to hand with the queen of diamonds and leads another trump) and forced declarer with another spade. When both defenders followed to the jack of hearts, six more minor-suit tricks went with the four tricks already banked -- four hearts doubled and made.
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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