East-West vulnerable. South deals.

East-West vulnerable. South deals.
NORTH
Q 8 6 3
J 8 5
A Q J 9
9 3
WEST EAST
K J 5 Void
Q 10 9 4 2 7 6 3
5 4 K 10 7 3 2
7 6 2 A Q 10 8 5
SOUTH
A 10 9 7 4 2
A K
8 6
K J 4
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
1 Pass 3 Pass
4 Pass Pass Pass
Opening lead: Five of
The declarer has an enormous advantage over the defenders -- he can see all of his side's assets while each of his opponents sees only half theirs and half declarer's. To balance that, the defenders must use the way they play their cards to describe their holding to partner.
North's jump raise in spades was invitational, showing 11-12 points and four-card support for partner's suit. Had the vulnerability been reversed, East might have tried three no trump, here a takeout for the minors, but vulnerable against not it was too risky. South's four spades closed the auction.
West led the five of diamonds and dummy's jack lost to the king. To make sure that, when West gains the lead, he returns a club and not a heart, East must return his lowest diamond to show a possible entry in the lower of the remaining two plain suits in this case, clubs; with a heart entry, East would return a high diamond to ask for the higher suit.
Declarer wins the diamond return with dummy's nine and leads a trump. As the cards lie, East gets another chance to ask for a club by discarding a high club, signaling an entry in that suit. No matter how declarer proceeds, the defender will collect a trump trick, a diamond ruff and the ace of clubs to go with the diamond already in the bank -- down one.
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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