Neither vulnerable. West deals.

Neither vulnerable. West deals.
NORTH
K 6 4
7 4 2
Q 10 9 2
K 7 2
WEST EAST
Q 10 3 2 J 9 8 5
K 8 3 Q J 10 9
A K J 7 4 8
6 Q 8 4 3
SOUTH
A 7
A 6 5
6 5 3
A J 10 9 5
The bidding:
WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH
1 Pass 1 2
2 3 Pass Pass
Pass
Opening lead: King of
Starting with the 2005 Summer North American Championships, Eddie Kantar produced a daily hand for players anxious to improve. The practice has continued. Here's a hand from the Spring selection.
The auction is normal, although Kantar points out that, if East-West were employing support doubles, West could have doubled two clubs to show three-card heart support headed by a top honor.
West leads the king of diamonds and continues with the ace, on which East discards the queen of hearts, and another diamond, East ruffing. The defender returns a heart, and declarer wins with the ace.
Writes Kantar: "South has lost three tricks and is sure to lose another heart, not to mention having to find the queen of clubs to make the contract. Any clues?
"Just three! 1. East discarded on the second diamond, so West is known to have five diamonds. 2. Hearts have been bid and supported and South is looking at six hearts. East must have four and West three. 3. And spades? Spades is an unbid suit. South is looking at a total of five spades ... the opponents have eight spades. If either had five spades, the suit would have been bid eons ago. Ergo, spades are 4-4 and the hand counts out! West, the player with the known long suit -- diamonds -- started with four spades, three hearts, five diamonds and one club. South leads a club to the king, removing West's club, and then plays a club to the jack followed by the ace, dropping East's queen. Dummy is entered with the king of spades to discard a losing heart on the queen of diamonds. Making three!"
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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