Neither vulnerable. North deals.

Neither vulnerable. North deals.
NORTH
K 9 8 2
A J 2
9 7 4
9 8 6
WEST EAST
Q 10 6 J 7 5 4 3
Q 9 8 7 6 4 3
5 2 6
J 10 7 4 A K 5 3
SOUTH
A
K 10 5
A K Q J 10 8 3
Q 2
The bidding:
NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST
Pass Pass 1 Pass
1 Pass 3H Pass
5 Pass 6 Pass
Pass Pass
Opening lead: ?
The great Terence Reese wrote: "There is no such thing as a blind opening lead -- just deaf opening leaders!" There is usually some clue to the best attack at trick one. However, this deal, the last from the semifinals of the trials to select the team to represent the United States in the 2005 World Team Championship, might have defied even Reese.
Sitting South was the peripatetic Pakistani, now New Yorker, Zia Mahmood. His bid of three hearts, by agreement, showed long, solid diamonds and a hand too good for a jump rebid of three diamonds, and North raised to game. Zia figured his team was down a few points and, after long thought, elected to proceed to the small slam.
Had West led a club, the match would have been settled at trick two. A trump or a spade lead would have left declarer to guess which defender held the queen of hearts, since a club would be discarded on the king of spades.
Unfortunately, West selected the queen of hearts. Declarer had no chance to display his ability to guess a missing queen, 12 tricks rolled home, and Zia's team was through to the final.
A fitting end to this story would have been for Zia's team to qualify for the championship and go on to win the title. Unfortunately, that was not to be. The team lost the final qualifying match and the United States did not win the world title.
& copy;2006, Tribune Media Services
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