Both vulnerable. South deals.

Both vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xK 9 3

uK Q 6 4

vK 10 8 7 5

w4

WEST EAST

x5 4 xA Q J 6

uJ 10 3 u9 8 7 2

vQ J 6 v9 4 2

wJ 9 8 3 2 wA 5

SOUTH

x10 8 7 2

uA 5

vA 3

wK Q 10 7 6

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1w Pass 1v Pass

1x Pass 2u Pass

2NT Pass 3NT Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Three of w

Pay attention to how a hand develops. On this deal, the bidding and opening lead painted a picture for East that allowed the defender to construct a winning defense.

We are not enamored of North’s fourth-suit two hearts, the fourth suit and therefore forcing to game. Our choice would be an invitational jump to two no trump, although the final contract would probably have been the same.

West led the three of clubs and East took time to plan the defense. The lead made it certain that South had started with at least five clubs and the bidding marked him with four spades. Since South obviously had no high cards in spades, it was more than likely that the club suit was well stopped and offered no future. Hearts were futile, so the only hope was that West had an entry for East to score three spade tricks into the bargain.

That made the defense simple. East rose with the ace of clubs at trick one and switched to the six of spades, taken in dummy with the nine. Since declarer could count only eight tricks, he decided to go after diamonds immediately for the fulfilling trick. However, there was no way for West to be kept off lead while developing diamonds, and the spade return allowed the defenders to collect three more tricks for down one.

2009 Tribune Media Services