Both vulnerable. South deals.

November 23, 2006 at 12:00a.m.

Both vulnerable. South deals.
NORTH
A Q 4
A 3 2
Q 6 4
Q 10 6 2
WEST EAST
10 9 6 K J 8 5 3
Q J 7 5 4 K 10 9 6
8 5 9 3 2
A ? 8 ?
SOUTH
7 2
8
A K J 10 7
K 7 5 4 3
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
1 Pass 2NT Pass
3 Pass 3NT Pass
5 Pass
Opening lead: Queen of
Here is another example of avoidance play. How would you play the hand after the lead of the queen of hearts?
The auction is interesting. A bid of four clubs over North's three no trumps is stronger than five clubs! Once you have voluntarily bid game, you cannot want to play in a partial. Hence, four clubs is forcing to game and is a probe for slam. Five clubs, the Principle of Fast Arrival, simply asks partner to choose a game in one of the minors.
West leads the queen of hearts. How would you plan to play without unnecessarily risking the contract?
Obviously, the problem is to avoid losing three tricks in the black suits. If you can draw trumps while keeping West off lead, you can afford to lose two trumps since you will be able to discard dummy's spade losers on diamonds.
Having isolated the problem, the solution is simple. Win the opening lead with the ace of hearts, ruff a heart in hand and lead a low trump. If West follows low, finesse the 10. Even if that loses to East's jack, the defender cannot make a damaging return. East can do no better than return a heart. You ruff, force out the ace of trumps and, if West wins and shifts to a spade, grab the ace, draw any outstanding trump and run the diamonds for two spade discards from dummy. If the 10 of clubs wins, simply continue trumps and then run diamonds. (If West turns up with four trumps, you will need the spade finesse.)
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.
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