Both vulnerable. West deals.

Both vulnerable. West deals.

NORTH

xQ 9 4 2

uK 5

vJ 9

wA K 10 9 2

WEST EAST

x8 x6 5 3

uJ 9 6 4 2 uA Q 10

vA 10 4 3 vK Q 8 7 2

w8 7 4 w6 5

SOUTH

xA K J 10 7

u8 7 3

v6 5

wQ J 3

The bidding:

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

Pass 1w 1v 1x

3v 3x Pass 4x

Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Ace of v

Here’s another deal from Eddie Kantar’s excellent series “Thinking Bridge,” designed for those interested in improving their game, published in the Daily Bulletin of the recent ACBL Fall National Championships in Boston.

“In the modern game, jump raises of opening bids or overcalls in competition [three diamonds] are pre-emptive. A cue-bid is used to show strong supporting hands. As North, do not count for the jack of diamonds, a secondary honor card in a suit that has been bid and supported. Even so, your hand is strong enough to bid three spades and South is good enough to raise to game, attaching extra value to honors in partner’s first-bid suit [queen-jack of clubs].

“As East, when partner leads a winning card in a suit you have bid, and a suit in which you have strength, check dummy to determine whether you want a continuation or prefer a shift. If you want a shift, play your lowest card. Good partners can usually work out the ‘shift’ suit — it is usually dummy’s shorter side suit. You want a heart shift, so play the two of diamonds. If you get the shift you can take two hearts and two diamonds to defeat the contract one trick. If you don’t ask for a shift and partner continues with diamonds, you only get one heart trick as declarer can rattle off five trump tricks and five clubs for 10 tricks.”

2009 Tribune Media Services