Both vulnerable. West deals.

Both vulnerable. West deals.
NORTH
6 5 3 2
A K 2
K J 8 7 4
9
WEST EAST
K A J 4
9 4 Q 10 8 7
Q 10 9 6 5 3 2 A
A 8 7 Q 6 5 4 3
SOUTH
Q 10 9 8 7
J 6 5 3
Void
K J 10 2
The bidding:
WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH
2 Pass Pass 2
Pass 4 Pass Pass
Pass
Opening lead: Ten of
The inaugural Buffett Cup, sponsored by the financier and modeled after golf's Ryder Cup, was held in Ireland in the latter part of September. Six pairs each from the United States and Europe competed in the team event. Europe took the early lead and clung to it into the second half, but then the United States took charge and ran out comfortable winners. Would you rather play or defend four spades after the lead of the ten of diamonds on this deal from an early round?
West's weak two-diamond opening bid was passed round to South, who balanced with two spades and North was certainly worth a jump to game.
Suppose you elect to declare. A heart lead would have left you with no play but West's choice of a diamond is reasonable. You insert dummy's jack and ruff East's ace. Cross to the table with a high heart and run the nine of clubs to West's ace. Win the heart return with the table's remaining honor and play the king of diamonds. East ruffs low, you overruff, discard dummy's heart loser on the king of clubs and start a crossruff. The defenders can score only two trump tricks and you make your contract.
However, you should have elected to defend. There is a way to beat this line, and Jill Meyers of Santa Monica, Calif., found it at the table. When declarer led the king of diamonds, she ruffed with the ace of trumps! Now, she cashed the queen of hearts to complete the defensive book, and the king of trumps was the setting trick.
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. Send e-mail to gorenbridge@aol.com.
& copy; 2006, Tribune Media Services
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.