Both vulnerable. South deals.

Both vulnerable. South deals.
NORTH
9 7 2
K 2
K 9 7 6
Q 7 6 2
WEST EAST
6 4 10 8 3
Q 9 7 6 5 J
10 4 Q J 8 5 2
J 10 8 3 A K 9 4
SOUTH
A K Q J 5
A 10 8 4 3
A 3
5
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
1 Pass 2 Pass
4 Pass Pass Pass
Opening lead: Jack of
Walking on air can be exhilarating. Ruffing on air can be deflating, as this deal proves.
When North raises one spade to two, there is no point for South to introduce hearts. Even if North does have four-card support, the strength of the spades makes it unlikely that hearts will be a better contract.
West led the jack of clubs and continued with another club after declarer ducked in dummy. Declarer ruffed, crossed to the king of hearts and led dummy's remaining heart. Delighted to score a low trump, East ruffed and declarer followed low. Declarer won the diamond shift with the king. He drew trumps in two rounds, ending in hand, and led another heart, ruffing with the nine. Declarer eventually conceded a heart but took five trumps in hand, two diamonds, two hearts and a heart ruff for 10 tricks.
Suppose that, instead of ruffing the heart at the first opportunity, East discards a diamond. Now declarer can win with the ace but still has three heart losers. Each time he ruffs on the table, East can overruff and the contract must go down.
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;2007 Tribune Media Services
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