North-South vulnerable. West deals.

March 2, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

NORTH

xQ 6 2

uA 9 7 4

vA 3

wA Q 9 6

WEST EAST

x4 xA K 10 5

uJ 6 5 u8 3

vK J 9 8 6 5 4 v2

w8 5 wK 10 7 4 3 2

SOUTH

xJ 9 8 7 3

uK Q 10 2

vQ 10 7

The bidding:

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

3v Dbl Pass 4x

Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Eight of w

Larry Cohen and David Berkowitz started their winning partnership in the mid-’80s. They represented the United States in world championship competition on several occasions and won every major American championship at one time or another. Cohen is also the author of several books, two on the Law of Total Tricks, which he developed. He sat South on this deal from the 1994 Grand National Teams.

The bidding was simple and accurate, and West attacked with the eight of clubs, won in dummy with the ace. Declarer started perfectly by running the table’s six of spades and, when that won, continued with a trump. East rose with the king as West discarded a middling diamond. East shifted to the deuce of diamonds, taken with the ace. The queen of spades lost to the ace and East exited with his remaining trump, won in hand.

Cohen cashed the king and queen of hearts and continued with the ten to ace, then led the queen of clubs from the table. East covered and declarer delivered the coup de grace by discarding a diamond from hand.

There was no counter. If East returned a low club, declarer would discard his remaining diamond loser and win in dummy; if East returned the ten, declarer would ruff, cross to dummy with the nine of hearts and discard his diamond loser on the nine of clubs.

If you would like to improve your bridge, you could do no better than attend a seminar being given by these two greats at the Wynn Las Vegas, June 22 to 24. For more information, go to www.larryco.com.

2010 Tribune Media Services