Neither vulnerable. South deals.

Neither vulnerable. South deals.
NORTH
x K Q 10
u Q 10 7 5 2
v J 10 2
w J 10
WEST EAST
x J 6 2 x 8 7 5 3
u 9 8 3 u A K J
v 9 5 v 8 7 3
w A 9 5 4 2 w K 7 3
SOUTH
x A 9 4
u 6 4
v A K Q 6 4
w Q 8 6
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
1NT Pass 2v Pass
2u Pass 3NT Pass
Pass Pass
Opening lead: Four of w
Here's another hand from Eddie Kantar's "Thinking Bridge" series from the Daily Bulletin at the recent Fall North American Championship in Denver. The series is designed for players eager to improve their game.
Note that despite a good five-card minor and no heart stopper, South's one-no-trump opening bid is correct. (In the modern style, you need only hold stoppers in three suits.) North's two diamonds is a transfer to hearts, and the jump to three no trump promises a five-card heart suit and a balanced hand. For those who would argue that the North hand is a trifle weak for a jump to game, the five-card suit and good intermediates more than compensate for any shortage of high cards.
West led fourth-highest of his long suit and East won with the king of clubs. If East returns the seven of clubs, West should duck as he has no side-suit entry to his long clubs. Should West adopt that defense, declarer will run off nine fast tricks -- three spades, five diamonds and a club.
How can East prevent that from happening? Before returning a club, East should cash the king of hearts, implying a holding of A K J. Now, when East reverts to clubs, West can see that the sure way to defeat the contract is to win with the ace and revert to a heart through dummy's queen. The defenders will collect the first five tricks -- two clubs and three hearts, before declarer can get started.
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. Send e-mail to gorenbridge@aol.com.
& copy; 2006 Tribune Media Services
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