Neither vulnerable. South deals.

Neither vulnerable. South deals.
NORTH
K Q 6 4 2
K 10 8 5
A J 9
10
WEST EAST
J 10 7 5 A 8 3
A Q 7 6 4 J 9 3 2
7 10 8 5 2
A 7 4 9 5
SOUTH
9
Void
K Q 6 4 3
K Q J 8 6 3 2
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
Pass 1 1 2
3 Pass Pass Pass
Opening lead: Seven of
Had this deal occurred at rubber bridge, it would never have seen the light of day. Declarer would have lost a trick to each of the black aces and a diamond ruff and would have made an overtrick. No big deal. But it was dealt in a national duplicate pairs competition, where overtricks are coin of the realm.
South might have opened the bidding, but after a one-club opening bid there would have been a rebid problem. Assume that West overcalls one heart, partner responds one spade and East raises to two hearts. South now cannot afford to show his second suit, and who knows how the auction would have developed. Instead, South elected to pass and was rather surprised to find that his three-club bid ended the auction.
West led the seven of diamonds, won in dummy with the jack. Declarer, former world champion Fred Hamilton of Encino, Calif., realized that a diamond ruff was likely, and found a neat counter -- at trick two he led the king of hearts from dummy! When East could not cover, Hamilton discarded the nine of spades from hand. West won, but there was now no way to get to the East hand for the diamond ruff. In the fullness of time declarer lost only a heart and a trump trick for an excellent score.
In the trade this technique is known as a Scissors Coup, because it cuts the defenders' communications.
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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