Neither vulnerable. South deals.

Neither vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xK 10 9 4

uK J 6 3

v7 5 2

wJ 9

WEST EAST

x8 6 5 2 x7 3

u9 4 uQ 10 8 5

vQ 10 8 vK J 9 6 3

wA 8 6 4 wK 5

SOUTH

xA Q J

uA 7 2

vA 4

wQ 10 7 3 2

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1NT Pass 2w Pass

2v Pass 2NT Pass

3NT Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Four of w

You do not have to make a spectacular play to pull the wool over an opponent’s eyes. Just concealing a couple of pips can work wonders.

North used the Stayman Convention to probe for a 4-4 fit in a major. When South denied holding a four-card major suit, North invited game by bidding two no trump and South, with a maximum opener, proceeded to game.

West led his fourth-best club and declarer wisely took time out before playing to the first trick to consider the situation. The weak underbelly of the South holding was diamonds, so anything that could delay a defensive shift to that was to South’s advantage, or South might have to rely on hearts to provide four tricks. Declarer found a simple way to encourage a club continuation: When dummy’s nine of clubs was covered by the king, he dropped the seven from hand!

Consider the dilemma East, a several-time national champion, was faced with. The two and three of clubs were not accounted for. If they were in the West hand then South, who held at most three cards in each major and, apparently, the same number in clubs, had to have at least four diamonds. That made the shift to that suit unappetizing.

East smartly returned a club, setting up three tricks in the suit for declarer and 10 overall. A diamond shift would have left declarer two tricks short. Given the play to trick one, would you have found it?

2008 Tribune Media Services