Both vulnerable. North deals.

Both vulnerable. North deals.
NORTH
K 8 5 4
Q 8 4
K 6 3
K 9 8
WEST EAST
A Q 9 6 3 J 10 2
J 5 9 3 2
9 4 J 10 7 5
J 10 6 3 Q 5 4
SOUTH
7
A K 10 7 6
A Q 8 2
A 7 2
The bidding:
NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST
Pass Pass 1 Pass
2NT Pass 3 Pass
4 Pass 5 Pass
5 Pass 6 Pass
Pass Pass
Opening lead: Ace of
It is all very well to reach a reasonable slam. The art is in bringing home the bacon.
Since North was a passed hand, his jump to two no trump over the one-heart opening could not be construed as a forcing raise of any type, but was a natural invitation. After South showed his second suit, the double fit was enough for North to jump to game and South pushed on.
West led the ace of spades and continued the suit to the king in dummy, declarer discarding a club. Trumps were drawn in three rounds, and declarer staked everything on the 3-3 diamond break. That was not the case -- down one.
There was another line that could have been pursued at no cost. Declarer should draw only two rounds of trumps with the ace and queen, then cash the ace and king of diamonds and, leaving one defender with a trump, lead another diamond from the table. If the suit breaks evenly, draw the last trump and claim. If a defender ruffs, the slam could never have been made. As the cards lie, East follows and West, out of trumps, cannot ruff the queen. Declarer trumps his remaining diamond as East follows helplessly, draws the outstanding trump and takes the last two tricks with the ace and king of clubs.
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
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.