Both vulnerable. East deals.

Both vulnerable. East deals.

NORTH

xK 10 9 7 5 3

uA 7

v10 6 4 3

w6

WEST EAST

xJ xVoid

uK J 9 5 2 u10 6 4

vA 8 2 vK Q J 9 7 5

wQ 10 9 3 wA 8 5 4

SOUTH

xA Q 8 6 4 2

uQ 8 3

vVoid

wK J 7 2

The bidding:

EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH

2v 2x 5v 6x

Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Ace of v

Whether declaring or defending, plan your campaign before you play to the first trick. Thinking later could be costly.

East started the proceedings with a weak two diamonds, South overcalled with two spades and West upped the ante by leaping to five diamonds. North realized South was probably void in diamonds and, since a bid of five spades might sound simply competitive, barged into six spades, which ended the auction.

West led the ace of diamonds, ruffed in the closed hand. Declarer crossed to dummy with the king of spades and led the six of clubs, and East paused to think — too late; he should have done so before playing to the first trick. With the location of the ace now revealed to all by his pause, East grabbed the ace and shifted to a heart, but declarer claimed 12 tricks since the heart loser would go away on the king of clubs.

From the moment dummy appeared East should have realized that the most the defenders could hope for was one heart trick and one club. That required West to hold the king-jack of hearts and the king or queen of clubs. If, when a club is later led from dummy, East follows low smoothly, declarer will have to guess whether East is defending superbly by ducking, or whether his best chance is to finesse the jack, hoping East holds the queen. South is no better than even money to make the winning decision.

2008 Tribune Media Services