Neither vulnerable. South deals.

Neither vulnerable. South deals.
NORTH
Q 6 4 2
A 3
J 6 4
K 6 4 2
WEST EAST
K 3 A
K Q 10 8 9 7 5 4 2
10 8 5 3 A 9 7 2
9 7 3 10 8 5
SOUTH
J 10 9 8 7 5
J 6
K Q
A Q J
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
1 Pass 3 Pass
4 Pass Pass Pass
Opening lead: King of
There are some players who derive more pleasure from stealing a contract than by making it with a legitimate line. Consider this deal from a team game.
The bidding at the two tables was the same. North's jump to three spades was a limit raise promising four-card trump support and 10-12 points and South certainly had the values to proceed to game.
At both tables West led the king of hearts, taken by dummy's ace. Declarer was now faced with four losers -- two spades, one heart and one diamond. At one table, declarer elected to rely on guile. He came to hand with the ace of clubs and led a low trump. Not unreasonably, West chose to rise with the king of spades, a play that did not meet with East's approval. One of declarer's losers had vanished and the contract rolled home.
At the other table South decided on a legitimate line. It required no more than a 3-3 club break and split trump honors. After winning the first trick with the ace of hearts, declarer cashed the ace and queen of clubs, then overtook the jack of clubs with the table's king. When the suit broke evenly, the 13th club was played.
Regardless of what East does, declarer discards his heart loser. (If East ruffs low, declarer will now play for the master trumps to crash.) As the cards lie, West can ruff low but, as soon as declarer regains the lead, he plays a trump, crashing the defenders trump winners and limiting his losers to one trump, a club ruff and the ace of diamonds.
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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