Both vulnerable. South deals.

Both vulnerable. South deals.
NORTH
Q 10 5 3
A 10 9 4
7
Q 10 5 3
WEST EAST
8 4 J 9 6 2
8 5 3 2 Q 7
A J 8 5 3 Q 9 6 4
K 4 8 7 6
SOUTH
A K 7
K J 6
K 10 2
A J 9 2
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
1 Pass 1 Pass
2 NT Pass 3 Pass
3 NT Pass Pass Pass
Opening lead: Five of
This deal is a finesser's paradise and a technician's nightmare. There are finesses available in three suits but no way of knowing which suit to tackle.
The auction is textbook. South's jump rebid in no trump showed a balanced 18-19 points and North, with game-going value and a distributional hand, checked on the possibility of a minor-suit game. With a flat hand and stoppers in all suits, South wisely chose three no trump.
West led a low diamond. The good news was that declarer could set up extra tricks in any one of other three suits. The bad news was that South could not afford to lose the lead since the defenders would be able to cash enough diamond tricks to set the contract.
First, declarer discarded any thought of attacking spades. Even if the suit brought in four tricks, declarer would have only eight tricks and would need to take a finesse in one of the remaining suits. Next declarer considered whether there was any way of combining chances, and uncovered one.
Declarer decided to take the club finesse, but before tackling that suit tested an alternative line. Declarer cashed the ace and king of hearts. Had the queen not fallen, declarer could have resorted to the club finesse. But when her majesty appeared, declarer had nine tricks without any finesse -- four hearts, three spades and one trick in each minor.
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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