Neither vulnerable. West deals.

Neither vulnerable. West deals.
NORTH
6 5 2
K J 9
10 9 8 4
A 4 2
WEST EAST
K J 4 10 9 8 7
4 3 2
A K J 5 3 7 6 2
Q J 10 8 K 9 7 3
SOUTH
A Q 3
A Q 10 8 7 6 5
Q
6 5
The bidding:
WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH
1 Pass Pass 4
Pass Pass Pass
Opening lead: King of
Here's a chance for you to test your analytical skills. South, declarer at four hearts, lost exactly three tricks. Which tricks were they?
West had a sound one-diamond opening bid, which was passed around to South. One possibility was for South to start with a takeout double, but he decided there was little chance of discovering whether North had the right cards, so he opted for a jump to four hearts. That became the final contract.
West led the king of diamonds and shifted to the queen of clubs. Which three tricks did South concede?
Accept our congratulations if you decided that declarer lost three diamond tricks! After losing the first trick to the king of diamonds, declarer won the second with the table's ace of clubs, cashed the king of hearts and led the 10 of diamonds, discarding his losing club. West won with the jack of diamonds. West reverted to clubs, declarer ruffing. A trump to the nine provided an entry to dummy and extracted the last of defenders' trumps. The nine of diamonds was led to West's ace, setting up dummy's eight for South's 10th trick as declarer discarded a spade from hand. Declarer trumped West's club exit, crossed to dummy with the jack of hearts and cashed the good eight of diamonds, discarding the queen of spades from hand. Declarer scored the rest of the tricks with trumps. Making four odd.
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. Send e-mail to gorenbridge@aol.com.
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