Both vulnerable. South deals.

Both vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xA K J 4

u10 5 2

v10 6 3

wK J 8

WEST EAST

x10 7 6 xQ 5 3 2

uQ 8 7 6 3 uJ 9 4

vA 2 vK 9 7

w9 6 4 w7 3 2

SOUTH

x9 8

uA K

vQ J 8 5 4

wA Q 10 5

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1v Pass 1x Pass

2w Pass 3w Pass

3NT Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Six of u

There is usually more than one way to tackle a contract. The best line is not always the most obvious.

As the cards lie, five diamonds is a better contract than three no trump, but it is not easy to get to. North was too good for a simple preference to two diamonds and he did not want to jump raise the suit with a weak three-card fragment, so he chose three clubs. After that, three no trump seemed like the logical spot.

West led the six of hearts and the problem was obvious. If West was leading from a five-card suit, declarer, who had eight fast tricks, had to establish a ninth. Diamonds was the sure way to set up a trick, but it would come too late — the defenders would collect five tricks first: two diamonds and three hearts. A successful finesse of the jack of spades would work, but there is a line that is twice as good as that!

The contract is safe if West holds either the queen or the ten of spades! Declarer wins the heart lead and runs the nine of spades. If it loses to the ten, win the heart return and repeat the spade finesse.

As the cards lie, if West does not cover, East must win with the queen and the contact is home. If West covers with the ten, declarer plays the jack from the table. Although that loses to the queen, the eight of spades becomes the fulfilling trick.

2009 Tribune Media Services