BRIDGE

Both vulnerable. South deals.
NORTH
x J 9 2
u A 7 6 3
v A 2
w A 9 7 6
WEST EAST
x A 7 3 x K 10 8 5 4
u 5 2 u K 8
v J 8 7 5 4 v 10 6 3
w ? 3 2 w ? 8 5
SOUTH
x Q 6
u Q J 10 9 4
v K Q 9
w K J 10
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
1u Pass 2NT Pass
4u Pass Pass Pass
Opening lead: Five of v
Study the diagram above, then decide: After the lead of the five of diamonds, can you avoid having to a guess the location of the queen of clubs?
This deal is from the Australian Senior Team Championship. North's two no trump is a forcing raise in hearts, guaranteeing four-card support. South's jump to four hearts is the Principle of Fast Arrival, showing a minimum opening bid and no singleton or void. Substitute bidding three hearts for two no trump, and you have a standard auction.
Declarer won the diamond opening in hand with the king and immediately ran the queen of hearts to East's king. East returned a diamond, won with the ace, and another round of trumps removed the enemy fangs. Here the declarers' paths diverged.
One declarer cashed the queen of diamonds and then led the queen of spades. East rose with the ace and continued with a spade. Declarer finessed dummy's nine, losing to the ten. The return of the king of spades was ruffed in the closed hand, and declarer tried to guess the location of the queen of clubs. Unfortunately, he was not up to the task.
The two finesses South took (spades and clubs) were 3-to-1 in favor of landing the contract. But at the other table, veteran Australian internationalist Pauline Gumby showed there was no need to finesse.
When she cashed the queen of diamonds, she discarded a spade from the table, then exited with a spade! The defenders could take two spade tricks, but then either had to lead a club, solving declarer's problem in that suit, or a plain suit and give a ruff-sluff, permitting declarer to trump on the table while discarding a club from hand.
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; 2006, Tribune Media Services