North-South vulnerable. North deals.

North-South vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

xK Q 7

uQ 8

v8 3

wA K Q J 6 4

WEST EAST

x10 2 xA 9 8 5

uK J 7 3 uA 9 4

vQ J 10 7 6 v9 5 2

w10 5 w9 3 2

SOUTH

xJ 6 4 3

u10 6 5 2

vA K 4

w8 7

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1w Pass 1u Pass

3w Pass 3NT Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Queen of v

Defense is the most difficult facet of bridge. While declarer knows all his side’s assets, each defender knows only half his side’s and half declarer’s.

The defenders must “tell” each other what they hold by the cards they play.

The auction is simple enough. North’s second-round jump in clubs showed a better-than-minimum hand with a near-solid six-card club suit, and South knew he had a reasonable shot for nine tricks at no trump.

South has the first problem. Should he win the first trick with the king or the ace after East responds to the opening lead with the two of diamonds?

The ace will fool no one. East knows from the lead that West does not have king, and West knows that East would have signaled with a higher diamond had he held the king.

When South wins with king, East is unsure who holds the ace of diamonds since the queen would be the normal opening lead from a suit headed by A Q J.

Declarer now leads a spade. West must play the 10 (a suit-preference signal for the higher-ranking plain suit) since he would follow with a low spade if his diamonds were established and because he can count nine tricks unless the defenders can take five fast tricks.

He knows a diamond continuation won’t help and he must tell partner where his high-cards are.

East must win the spade trick and shift to the nine (!) of hearts to unblock.

West wins with the king, returns a heart to partner’s ace and a heart back through the 10 allows the defenders to take four tricks in the suit — down one!

2008 Tribune Media Services