Both vulnerable. South deals.

Both vulnerable. South deals.
NORTH
A Q 6 2
J 6 5
A 4
10 7 4 3
WEST EAST
J 7 3 K 9 8 4
10 4 2 9 7
K 9 6 3 2 Q 10 8 5
9 6 K Q J
SOUTH
10 5
A K Q 8 3
J 7
A 8 5 2
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
1 Pass 1 Pass
2 Pass 3 Pass
4 Pass Pass Pass
Opening lead: Three of
Study the diagram above, then decide: After the lead of the three of diamonds, would you rather play or defend four hearts?
North's bidding showed an invitational holding with three-card heart support. South had a clear-cut acceptance.
West leads a low diamond and, if you are going to rely on the spade finesse, you are going down. You will lose one diamond, one spade and two clubs. However, you can engineer a possible endplay, so you elect to declare. You play low from dummy and East's queen wins. You win the diamond return, draw two rounds of trumps ending on the table, cash the ace of clubs and exit with a club. East wins and can do no better than cash the king of clubs but must then either yield a ruff-sluff or lead a spade into dummy's tenace. Either way, your spade loser disappears.
However, you were right to defend! When East plays the king of clubs, West must ruff with his remaining trump and shift to a spade! Now you cannot avoid a spade loser -- 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
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