North-South vulnerable. South deals.

North-South vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

x5

u9 8 6 3

vK 10 7 2

wA J 8 7

WEST EAST

xA Q 10 9 xJ 8 7 3 2

u7 5 2 uK 10 4

vJ 9 8 4 vQ 5 3

w10 6 wK 9

SOUTH

xK 6 4

uA Q J

vA 6

wQ 5 4 3 2

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1NT Pass 2w Pass

2v Pass 2NT Pass

3NT Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Seven of u

The tables of leads found in most textbooks show, for the most part, the right way to tackle suit combinations. But there are some situations where rubrics are not enough — you need what Hercule Poirot called “those little grey cells.” Consider this deal from the Open Board-a-Match Teams at the recent Fall North American Championships in Boston.

The auction was an invitational no-trump sequence involving Stayman. With 16 points and a five-card minor, South had ample to accept.

West led a top-of-nothing heart, East played the king and declarer won with the ace. Declarer correctly led the queen of clubs to guard against K 10 6 of clubs with West rather than a singleton. East took the king and everything hinged on what the defender chose to return.

The auction marked West with four spades, and only one holding would permit the defenders to prevail — West’s spades had to be headed by A Q 10. To cater to that, East returned the only card to give the defense a chance — the knave of spades. Whether or not South covered, the defenders could not be stopped from collecting four spade tricks to go with club trick already banked — down one.

2009 Tribune Media Services