Neither vulnerable. South deals.

Neither vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

x9 6 2

uA K J 7

vA 3 2

w7 6 3

WEST EAST

x10 7 5 4 xK Q J 3

uQ 9 3 u10 4 2

vQ 7 5 vK 6 4

wQ 4 2 wJ 10 5

SOUTH

xA 8

u8 6 5

vJ 10 9 8

wA K 9 8

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1NT Pass 3NT Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Four of x

There are some hands where only an expert declarer can be defeated. Looking at all four hands, it is difficult to see how declarer could go down at three no trump. However, the defenders succeeded in painting a false picture of their distribution.

The auction was a standard weak-no-trump sequence. With a perfectly flat hand, North saw no reason to check for a 4-4 heart fit and proceeded straight to game.

West led the four of spades to East’s jack, and declarer held up. The continuation of the king of spades was won with the ace and the jack of diamonds was run to East’s king. East cashed the queen of spades and shifted to a low club, giving the impression that he was out of spades.

Declarer won with the king, ran the ten of diamonds and led a diamond to the ace, picking up the queen. The king of hearts was cashed and declarer returned to hand with the ace of clubs and cashed the 13th diamond, West discarding the nine of hearts and East the jack of clubs.

To declarer the picture was “clear.” West was down to two spades and a club and East held the guarded queen of hearts and a club. South confidently exited with a club, expecting to endplay East into returning a heart into dummy’s tenace. But West won and cashed the spade for the setting trick!

2008 Tribune Media Services